A Tale of Two Sheriffs
by Stellata
Summary: Beth may have lost her home and her family, but she's grateful that she escaped the prison with Rick Grimes and two children that she cares about dearly. Living on the run ain't no bed of roses, but Beth Greene hasn't lost her faith yet.
1. Chapter 1

_Day 1_

* * *

"She's so cute."

Beth smiled up at Mika.

"Judy's the sweetest little baby I've ever known."

"Can I watch her sleep?" Mika asked shyly.

"Of course you can," Beth replied. "If you don't mind, I could leave her with you for a bit. She'll sleep for at least an hour, maybe more. You could read if you get bored."

"You mean, babysit her?" Mika asked eagerly.

"Mika, you're good with her," Beth smiled at the ten year old. "If she wakes up and starts crying, you remember how I taught you to hold her?"

"I need to support her neck," Mika remembered.

"Good. I have a bottle in Judith's bag there, shake it before you give it to her. And afterwards, burp her on your shoulder. If that doesn't stop her crying, just bring her to me and I can take over."

"Alright," Mika nodded. "I've seen you do it all before."

"We found some funny looking bugs."

The girls looked up to see Lizzie in the door.

"Come and see," Luke added, practically bouncing on his heels.

Beth glanced at Mika. The ten year old bit her lip, then looked over at Judith.

"I can't. I'm babysitting Judith," Mika said proudly.

"Fine," Lizzie shrugged. "Come on Luke."

As the other kids left, Beth put a hand on Mika's shoulder.

"Thanks for sticking with it."

"Babysitting's important," Mika said decisively.

Beth's heart warmed at that. Sometimes she felt that some people in the prison didn't find her role very important. But looking after Judith and the other kids _was_ important.

"I'm glad you know that," she told the younger girl. "My daddy always says that we all got jobs to do. That means that every job is important, and everyone is important."

Mika nodded thoughtfully.

"Your daddy's really smart."

"That he is." Beth stroked the younger girl's head fondly. "I'll see you later."

"See you!" Mika waved after her as Beth headed out.

Beth waved back cheerily. Judith had been good today, but a little break would be real nice. Shepicked up her walkman and headed outside, slipping on the headphones and starting it up. She hoped there were still a few hours left on the batteries.

Tori Amos started playing in her headphones as she made her way outside. When she was inside, she missed the breezes. The sun was nice as well, except on days like this, when it was so bright that her skin burned easily.

Beth walked to the guard tower, admiring the garden as she went. Everything was growing tall and strong, Rick had done a wonderful job. The corn stalks were about ready to harvest. Hermouth watered as she pictured the corn on the cob they'd be eating soon. It would be even better with a little fresh butter melting on it…

If only they had a cow, Beth thought wistfully, then they could try and churn butter - _and_ have fresh milk in the mornings. She wondered if there were any cows left alive in the world. They were far too slow to escape walkers. Even if she never saw another cow again, she liked to think that they still existed somewhere.

She settled down on one of the sleeping bags, trying not to think about what she knew some people got up to on these things - her sister and Glenn included. The door to the outside was open, allowing the breeze in. It was a nice place to relax, away from everyone.

Beth closed her eyes and let herself relax, reminding herself that she deserved this break. The music was soothing, blocking out the rest of the world and letting her feel like there was nothing out there that could bother her - not walkers, not sickness, not anything.

She was starting to doze off when she heard it a terrible explosion. Beth tore off her headphones and scrambled to her feet.

Looking around, she realized in horror that something - _someone_ had blown up the western watchtower. It was in pieces, on fire… She swallowed hard - if she'd picked _that_ watchtower to rest in, she'd be dead now.

There was nobody by the gate, so who had… Beth turned to the right and saw them. There was a tank just thirty feet away, surrounded by a caravan of vehicles - and there were at least twenty people there with guns.

Beth ducked down, terrified, and looked around frantically. There were a couple guns left over from whoever was last on watch - a glock, as well as a scoped rifle.

Grabbing the rifle, she checked the magazine, and was relieved it was full. She took the glock as well, bringing it with her as she lay down on her stomach on the floor. Slowly, she wiggled across the floor to the open door, trying to be as quiet as she could.

Beth propped the rifle in front of her and peered through the scope. She shuddered as her suspicions were confirmed - it was the Governor. He was never going to leave them alone, she realized, however much she had hoped that he had just moved on.

"Rick!" The Governor called. "Come down here. We need to talk."

Beth began to count - four, eight, eleven… She gulped as she finished counting at twenty two. And that was just the people that she could see.

"It's not up to me." Rick shouted back.

Beth felt a frission of hope. Rick was there, he would find a way out. Maybe they didn't have to fight these people.

"There's a council now, they run this place!"

"Is Hershel on the council?" The Governor returned.

Beth frowned at the seeming non-sequiter. The Governor motioned to some people, and then a brunette woman with a gun walked over to one of the cars.

The teenager in the watchtower watched in horror as her father was dragged from the car, and pushed to his knees in front of the tank.

No, not her daddy, Beth thought desperately. Her finger slipped to cover the trigger, terrified - would they hurt him?

"And Michonne? Is she on the council too?"

Her heart fell further in her chest as they led Michonne out as well, setting her down beside Hershel. Beth took a deep, shaky breath - then she adjusted the aim, until the center was at the Governor's chest.

"I don't make decisions anymore!" Rick shouted.

"You're making the decisions today, Rick," the Governor called back.

Beth bit her lip - Rick was doing so much better, healing from his emotional injuries by being the farmer. He shouldn't be forced back into that position - she was certain that it was the overwhelming responsibility of being their leader that had made him snap in the first place.

And yet… she did feel a little relieved, knowing that Rick would be commanding everyone. If the council was the peacetime government, Rick was most certainly the most natural leader in wartime. And the governor had brought war to their doorstep.

"Come down here and let's… Let's have that talk."

Beth waited nervously, wondering if Rick was going to do it. Would there be actual talking, or was it just a ploy to isolate their leader for the Governor to murder him? She didn't doubt that the man was capable of such an underhanded tactic.

The wait seemed horribly long, and Beth's finger twitched slightly.

"Let him go, right now." Rick was there, she realized, but she didn't dare move the scope, not when she had to be ready to take a shot.

"I'll stay down here, talk as long as you want. But you let him go. You got a tank, you don't need hostages." Rick told the Governor.

Beth tried to picture where he was, probably right behind the second fence.

"I do," the one-eyed man replied. "This is just to show you I'm serious. Not to blast a hole in our new home. You and your people, you have until sundown to get out of here, or they die."

"Doesn't have to go down this way," Rick countered.

"I got more people, more firepower… We need this prison."

_You can't have it,_ Beth thought fiercely. It wasn't for the likes of the Governor. She wondered how all these people could follow a man like this. Beth always wanted to see the good in people, but it was hard to find in a situation like this.

"There it is," the Governor chuckled. "It's not about the past, it's about right now."

"There are children here," Rick told the intruders, trying to plead with them. "Some of them are sick, they won't - they won't survive."

Beth looked carefully at the ones she could see - one man's expression shifted, seeming a bit nervous at Rick's speech.

"I have a tank!" The Governor snarled, then half-smiled, his voice sounding calm again. "And I'm letting you walk away from here. What else is there to talk about?"

Beth stared down the scope at the Governor, thinking about what she might have to do. She had the ideal position to take him out, but it was dangerous. There were only ten rounds in the rifle's magazine and fifteen rounds in the glock - twenty five shots in total. Even if that was enough to kill all of them, she doubted that she'd be able to take them all out before one of them shot her.

She tried hard not to think about the fact that these were people, and she'd never killed a person before. If they attacked them like the Governor was threatening to do, if anyone tried to hurt her father, she would just have to shoot.

_Everybody has a job to do, Bethie_, her father's words echoed in her head.

"I could shoot you all. And you all'd shoot back, I know that," the Governor said, his tone strangely placating.

He was trying to sound reasonable, Beth realized suddenly. Her group knew how horrible the man was, but they also knew that he was a great actor. He had fooled a lot of innocent civilians at Woodbury, and probably done exactly the same thing here. Beth wished she could explain to them why they shouldn't trust the Governor, but they would likely shoot her if she spoke and revealed her position. She just hoped Rick could make them see reason.

"But we'll win, and you'll be dead. All of you. Doesn't have to be like that - like I said, it's your choice."

Beth heard the telltale signs of walkers - loud moaning, and realized that some were approaching the fence. The Governor drew his gun and shot, three times.

"The noise will only draw more of them over. Longer you wait, harder it'll be for you to get out of here," the Governor said. "You got maybe an hour of sunlight left. I suggest you start packing."

There was another pause.

"The longer you wait, the harder it's gonna be for you to get out of here," the Governor repeated, irritation in his voice.

"We can all live together," Rick said seriously.

Beth couldn't help but smile at the sentiment. Maybe he could convince them.

"There's enough room for all of us."

"More than enough," the Governor agreed. "But I don't think my family would sleep well knowing that you were under the same roof."

Beth's arms were beginning to tremble, and she tried to keep them steady. The Governor wasn't going to make a deal, she knew suddenly. His people would have to turn against him if they wanted peace.

"We could live in different cell blocks. We'd never have to see each other, til we're all ready," Rick suggested.

"It could work, you know it could!" Hershel called. Beth smiled at her father's words.

"It could've, but it can't. Not after Woodbury, not after Andrea."

"Look," Rick cut in. "I'm not saying it's gonna be easy. Fact is, it's gonna be a hell of a lot harder than standing here shooting at each other. But I don't think we have a choice."

"We don't. You do."

"We're not leaving." Rick said firmly. "You try to force us, we'll fight back. But like you said, the gunshots would just bring more of 'em, they'll take down the fences, without the fences this place is _worthless_. Now - we can all live in the prison, or none of us can."

The Governor turned and jumped down from the tank. Beth sucked in a harsh breath, attempting to re-aim. When he came back into view, he was carrying a sword - Michonne's katana.

Before she could fix the aim, the Governor had the katana to her father's throat. Beth desperately tried to lock onto his chest, but her hands were shaking. She wanted to sob, but she knew she had to keep her mouth shut.

"You - you, in the ponytail! Is this what you want? Is this what any of you want?" Rick called, addressing the group.

"What we want is what you got," the man in the tank called back. "Time for you to leave, asshole."

"Look, I've fought him before," Rick tried to explain to them. "And after, I took in his old friends. They've become leaders in what we have here. Now you put down your weapons, walk through those gates, you're one of us."

_Listen_, Beth thought desperately. _Please_. She bit down on her lip so hard it began to bleed.

"We let go of all of it, and nobody dies. Everyone's alive right now. Everyone's made it this far. We've all done the worst kinds of things to stay alive. But we can still come back."

Beth's heart was pounding with anticipation. Rick was giving an empassioned speech - if she were one of them, she knew she'd be swayed. But would they?

"We're not too far gone," Rick said. "We get to come back. I know - we all… can change."

Beth took a breath as the Governor slowly began to pull the blade away from Hershel's neck.

"Liar." The monster said lowly.

Her hands stopped shaking as he swung the blade. Her finger pulled back on the trigger, and the Governor staggered back, dropping the sword to the ground.

The rifle kicked back against her shoulder, bruising it, but she couldn't pay it any mind - she had to kill him.

The Governor looked right up at her, a hand going to his shoulder, where she'd shot him. He looked confused - he hadn't seen it coming. But now he knew where she was…

Beth pulled the trigger again, but she was too hasty - the bullet struck the tank behind him. The Governor dodged out of the way, going to the other side of the tank where she couldn't see him.

A rain of bullets began - first one, and then another. The two groups were firing on each other, Beth realized. With the Governor out of her line of sight, Beth re-aimed, this time at the man shooting from on top of one of the cars.

The rifle kicked back, but she just breathed out in relief as the gunner she'd shot went down with a cry, falling over the back of the car. Beth took another shot at the man next to him, but she missed.

"Kill the girl in the watchtower!" The Governor bellowed, and suddenly half of them were re-aiming their weapons towards her.

Beth rolled violently to her left, stunned as bullets sprayed into the back wall, shattering the glass, while still more were striking the floor where she'd just lain.

She hid behind the solid interior for now, terrified that the fire was now concentrated on her.

"Take it down!" He shouted again, and Beth realized with a bolt of horror just what he meant.

Beth scrambled to the ladder, tossing the guns down, and then jumped - it was a twelve foot drop, and she hit the floor hard, but just managed to stay on her feet.

Her feet and shoulder ached, but she couldn't stop to catch her breath - Beth grabbed the dropped guns and headed for the door.

The explosion rocked the tower, and she fell, clutching to the wall. The ceiling was coming down in pieces around her, and Beth turned the doorknob and flung herself outside.

A falling brick struck her on the back, and Beth fell to the ground, shaken. She covered her head with her arms, frozen in place as pieces of stone and metal rained down around and on top of her.

Finally, it stopped raining debris, though the gunfire was still loud and constant. Beth slowly uncovered herself and sat up. The top of the tower had been blown to smithereens by their tank. She looked up at it numbly - she'd barely gotten out in time.

"Go through the fences! In your cars, get your guns. We go in. Kill 'em all."

"Roger that. Move in!"

Beth could hear car engines starting. She backed up to the wall, jamming the glock into her belt and taking the rifle in both her hands.

The fence made a horrible creaking noise as the tank rolled over it. Glancing back at the prison, Beth almost cried out at the sight - the tank was firing again, taking down a chunk of the outer walls, while her family tried desperately to fire back at the invaders with the weapons they had. But Beth knew that their guns were no match for the firepower of the tank.

She could see a figure behind the overturned prison bus, and felt a sudden rush of relief - it was Rick, and he was alive. Somehow he'd gotten out of the line of fire alright.

Rick looked over at the same time, his eyes widening as he saw Beth. He lifted a finger to his lips, and Beth nodded.

Then, he pointed twice in the direction of the gates. It took her a moment, but then she realized - he wanted her to flank the attackers. Gulping, she nodded to him.

Beth hurried to the corner of the guard tower and peered around. The tank and the cars had already made their way through the fence, crushing it under them. But there were a few people behind the cover of the tank that she could still see.

And there was her father, crawling along the ground, in her direction. _He was alive!_

Beth glanced up in time to see one of the men glance over at Hershel crawling away. He turned his gun towards her father, and Beth yanked the trigger.

The first shot hit the man in the belly. He screamed, and his gun went off.

Beth heard her father cry out in pain. In a panic, she blind-fired. One shot went into the man's head.

The rest of the Governor's group had almost moved beyond her range of sight, so Beth fired off two more shots, hitting one woman in the neck, probably fatally. The man next to her saw her go down, and turned his gun towards Beth…

She ducked back behind the tower, staring at the bullets hitting the ground and wall beside her. He was shooting with an automatic gun, and after he'd shot a dozen rounds, he stopped. Was he reloading, or was he just waiting for her to stick her head around again?

Beth realized that she couldn't chance it, not if she wanted to save her father. She ran to the other corner, peering out at the group. The others were still advancing on the prison, not looking her way.

She scooted forward along the side, looking at the man who'd tried to shoot her. He was advancing towards the tower, but he wasn't looking her way, but at her last position.

Beth fired at him with the last two rounds in the rifle, both striking him in his chest.

He fell backwards, gasping as he clutched to his chest. Beth dropped the rifle and ran to her father, drawing her glock as she did.

There were walkers advancing from the woods, dozens and dozens of them. She got off a few shots, taking care of the closest ones.

Beth heard a terrible moaning and looked down - it was the man she'd just shot. He was still alive…

Right now, he didn't look like an enemy. He was maybe thirty, with blue hair and messy brown hair. He just looked scared - and in agony.

"Please," he gasped, looking at her, then the walkers advancing on him. "Finish it."

Her mouth formed into a tight line. Then she fired once into his forehead, ending his misery.

"Daddy!" She ran to her father's side.

"Beth," Herschel gasped, surprised to hear her.

She took her knife from her belt and carefully cut away the rope binding his hands. As her father came to a sitting up position, rubbing his wrists, Beth planted a quick kiss on his cheek.

Before he could say anything, she was standing and firing again, at two walkers who were getting too close.

"We have to go," Beth told her father breathlessly.

She helped him up, then slipped her arm around her father's waist. Beth led him along the outside fence and past the front gate, moving as fast as she could towards the back of the prison. Hershel didn't say a word, focusing on keeping up with his daughter.

Beth glanced back at the walkers streaming through the downed fences, and felt a terrible heaviness in her heart. They were losing their home.

As they walked, Beth had to shoot three walkers that got too close. She tried to remember how many bullets were left, but she couldn't. Finally, she could see the bus ahead, and Beth was able to breathe a little easier.

The sound of the continuous gunfire was still terrifying, but they were out of the worst of it, and she was going to get them to the bus. Herschel stumbled a little as Beth sped up, and she gave him a concerned look.

"I'm fine," he assured her.

Finally, they were at the back, at the bus. There was a stream of people running from the prison into the escape vehicle.

Beth helped Hershel up the stairs, and sat him down a few rows back. She glanced around, seeing a number of familiar faces - but not Maggie, Glenn, or…

"_Judith_," Beth realized with horror. She was an idiot, she'd left her with Mika and never came back - she had to keep her safe.

She turned quickly to bolt for the front of the bus.

"Beth!" Hershel roared after her. His daughter whirled back to face him.

"I have to find Judith."

"No, someone else can do it, you stay here," Hershel said urgently.

"_Daddy_," Beth told him fiercely, reaching out to grab his hand. "We've all got jobs to do."

He took a deep, shuddering breath before smiling at her, a proud little smile that warmed her to the bone.

"Go. I love you."

"I love you too, daddy." After a moment's thought, she handed him the glock, ignoring the look of protest on his face.

"There's at least six bullets left," Beth informed him. "Stay safe, daddy."

Then she ran. Beth pushed past a few people trying to get to the bus and made her way through the halls to cellblock C. Where was her baby?

Beth tore through the courtyard and back to the cell block. She could hear the sounds of Judy crying, but where…

"Mika!" Beth screamed. She waited a moment, and then -

"Beth!"

She ran to her cell, only to find Mika sitting in the corner, clutching a crying baby in her arms.

"Sweetie," Beth breathed, infinitely relieved. "Are you okay?"

Mika was crying too, but she tried to wipe away her tears.

"They shot me."

"Where?" Beth demanded in a panic.

Mika pointed at her arm. Beth looked at it for a moment, and let out a shaky breath.

"It's just a graze. You're going to be fine."

"It really hurts," the ten year old sobbed. "Can you fix it?"

"I know it does, you're so brave. I'll take care of it," Beth assured her.

She knew they had to go, but Mika was so scared, Beth needed to help her.

Setting Judith down on her bed, Beth quickly grabbed a strip of gauze from the box under her bed - there were always scrapes and cuts at the prison, and this time was no different.

Beth hurried to dab the wound with a peroxide-soaked cut. Mika cried out at the sting, and kicked out instinctively - knocking over the bottle. The rest of the peroxide spilled out over the floor. Beth ignored it, focusing on quickly wrapping the gauze around Mika's arm.

"It'll get better soon," Beth promised.

Mika stared at her arm, rubbing it, as Beth stood up. She watched as Beth took a long piece of fabric from her bed and quickly wrapped it about her shoulders and torso, leaving it loose in the front.

"Help me put her in," Beth ordered, and Mika moved to help immediately. With Judith and Mika to care for, she would need to strap Judith to her so that she could still fight if need be.

They secured Judith in the baby sling, and Beth tied it tightly about her waist, glad that now she couldn't lose the baby again, not with her tucked so close on her front.

Beth glanced around the cell. This had been her room for so long, with everything she had in it…

"Mika, please carry Judy's bag."

The ten year old nodded and slung the baby bag over her shoulder. Beth grabbed her own backpack from under the bed, quickly shoving a few things into it - the remaining gauze, bottle of water, her old diary, the music box Daryl had given her for her last birthday, filled with photos of her family and friends… Some items were useful, others sentimental, but they were leaving forever and she just couldn't _leave_ them.

Beth zipped the backpack up and slung it over her shoulders, then grabbed her pistol in her right hand and took Mika's hand in her left.

"Let's go!"

They had barely made it through the cell door when a blast from the tank struck the ceiling of the cell block. Beth hauled them backwards again, both of them coughing at the resulting smoke and dust.

When Beth dared to look back out, she realized that there was now a giant pile of rubble that completely blocked the door that led back towards the bus. _No_, she thought in horror. If she hadn't bothered to try and grab her possessions, they could have gotten out easily. _Stupid_, she berated herself.

"We'll go this way, then," Beth declared, trying to keep her voice calm for Mika's sake. Judith was still wailing as Beth and Mika ran to the front of the cellblock, to the only other exit.

They burst out the door and were greeted by a hail of bullets.

Beth screamed at the same time as Mika. But miraculously, she hadn't been hit.

There was a young brunette woman and an older man in a plaid shirt, both of them pointing guns at them.

The man was hastily reloading, not looking at them. The woman looked absolutely shocked at the sight of her - whether it was Mika holding her hand, or the baby strapped to her front, Beth wasn't sure.

Beth was horribly aware that she couldn't raise her gun before the woman shot. She shoved Mika behind her, and the girl clutched at her backpack, grateful for the cover. Beth wrapped her left arm around Judith, who was still wailing in fear.

"Please. I just want to get my girls out of here!" Beth pleaded. She hoped they'd listen. None of them had to die now.

The man had finished reloading. He looked back up, a vicious look in his eyes.

"Brian said _all of ya_."

Beth tried to get her gun up, but she wasn't going to be fast enough -

Five shots sounded, and the man slumped to the ground, riddled with holes.

Beth turned to the brunette woman in shock. She met Beth's gaze, and gave her a little nod.

"Go."

Beth began to run across the courtyard with Mika. Halfway across, she stopped and turned.

The brunette was staring after her, her gun pointed down at the ground.

"What's your name?" The words slipped from Beth's mouth before she knew what she was doing.

"Alicia."

"Come with us."

Beth watched as a look of total amazement came over the woman's face.

"What? We attacked you."

"You killed him when he tried to shoot us. You're not a bad person." Beth looked the woman over, eyeing her stance, the way she carried herself. "You were military, weren't you? You thought you had to follow his orders."

"How did you know that?" Alicia asked in astonishment.

"It's all over your face," Beth said softly. "You didn't want to hurt us. So join us."

"I - I have to find my girlfriend," Alicia blurted, looking around. "But… thank you."

"Be careful," Beth said finally, and turned to run again.

They turned the corner, only to find several walkers waiting for them. Beth didn't pause, moving forward as she shot, once, twice, three times…

She advanced down the courtyard, firing again and again as the walkers came closer. She kept firing until the bullets ran out.

Beth dropped her gun and drew her knife. With a cry, she buried the blade in the eye of the closest walker, pushing it backwards. The next one fumbled for her, falling to the ground and grabbing her ankle.

"Beth!" Mika was screaming.

In the moment it took to pull herself free, a walker from behind had knocked Mika to the ground.

Beth kicked it in the face, knocking it away, and leaned down to stab it through the top of its head it before she hauled the younger girl to her feet.

"Thanks," Mika gasped.

Beth looked around and saw walkers approaching them from all sides. There was one perilously close, on their left, and Beth yanked Mika to the right, crying out as she slammed her shoulder against the stone wall.

Her heart pounded as she realized that walkers were coming from three sides, and they were trapped.

No, she didn't want to die like this, Beth thought fervently. She couldn't let Judith and Mika die! She stabbed one walker, only for another to grab her left arm… Beth tried to jerk away, but couldn't…

The walker's head exploded in front of her, spraying her with its blood. Beth gasped and stepped back. There was another shot, and the next-closest walker went down.

Rick Grimes was limping towards them, moving slowly, but firing quickly, stopping the walkers before they could touch them.

Beth grabbed Mika's right hand in her left and pushed to the side with fewer walkers, stepping over the bodies as Rick continued to take them down.

But another hand grabbed her, and this time it took her down. Beth twisted herself to land on her side on top of another corpse, one arm wrapped around Judith so she wouldn't be jarred too badly.

The walker was crawling up to her, trying to bite her ankle, and somewhere along the way she'd dropped her knife.

"Rick!" Beth screamed in terror.

He ran towards her, firing at the two walkers in his way, and finally got a clear shot at the one about to bite her. His gun clicked in his hand, and Rick glanced at it in horror. He'd shot the last round.

Beth screamed as the walker's head lowered to her leg, trying to pull away, but it's teeth were almost on her -

The walker jerked back, and Beth gasped. Mika had grabbed a hold of its leg and was pulling it away from Beth with all her might.

Beth snapped her foot up and away from the dead, grasping hand. She rolled to the side away from it, keeping her arms stiff to make a cradle under Judith, trying not to crush the little one.

Rick descended on the last walker with a roar, falling on top of it and bashing its head in with his gun. Mika flinched and stepped back, dropping the walker's leg.

Beth looked around and saw that they were in the clear for the moment, no more walkers were close by. Mika crashed into her side, hugging her tightly, and Beth pressed a kiss to the top of her head before looking around to find her weapons.

The gunfire was petering out - very few people were still firing, but the prison was almost overrun by walkers at this point. How could they have done this, Beth wondered in dismay - how could anyone have wanted this to happen?

She was glad to find her knife, and then her gun, though she was out of ammo for it. She resheathed it for the moment, wiping her bloodied hands on her pants, and wiped her face with the back of her arm.

"Rick," she called again, and he looked up from pummeling the walker. "We have to go!"

He staggered to his feet and hurried over to her. Beth gasped - he was covered with blood and looked like he'd been badly beaten.

"Are you okay?" Beth gasped.

"We've gotta get out of here," Rick told her, reaching out to stroke Judy's cheek, staring at her wondrously. He left a little blood smear, but Beth just smiled, seeing how much he loved his little girl.

"_Thank you_." He turned his gaze to Beth. "For Judy…"

"Always," Beth replied simply.

There really weren't words good enough to thank her. Instead, he leaned down and brushed a kiss to her forehead, one arm coming around her for a quick hug.

"Come on," Beth told Mika, reaching out for her hand. "You did good, pulling that walker off me."

"I'm glad you're not bit," Mika said fervently, squeezing Beth's hand tightly.

They made their way further through the courtyard, towards the bus… Or where the bus had been, Beth realized - it had already left.

She glanced at Rick, who looked defeated at the sight of the absent evacuation vehicle. He was limping badly, and Beth reached for him instinctively, wrapping her right arm about his waist.

Rick leaned into her gratefully, his left arm coming to rest on her shoulders.

Together, they all began to walk away from the prison.

"Don't look back," Rick hissed as they passed beyond the fence, though Beth wasn't sure if he was talking to her or to himself.

She didn't, unable to bear the sight of their home completely overwhelmed by fire and walkers.

"We have to find Carl," Rick said roughly. "Did either of you see him?"

"No," Mika said sadly.

"I didn't," Beth said regretfully. "But I'm sure he got out."

"He did," Rick agreed forcefully. He had to believe it. "Carl can take care of himself. He'd go to the nearest town. We just have to meet him there."

"Alright," Beth said, looking down at Judith. She was still crying, but more softly now that they were further away from the noises. Judith had grown so big that Beth usually needed both arms to carry her comfortably. Maggie had found the wrap on a run last month, and Beth was grateful that she'd been able to grab it before they left.

They made their way through the woods. There were a few Walkers, but none were too close. They were all drawn by the sounds from the prison, so thankfully they were able to pass right through.

"Rick, your injuries," Beth began, questioningly. "Who…"

"The Governor," Rick growled.

"Is he - did you…"

"He's dead," Rick said firmly.

Beth let out a harsh breath.

"_Good_," she said viciously. Rick glanced at her, startled by the tone - he'd never heard Beth sound like that before. If anyone deserved her ire, though, it was the man who'd wrecked their home and tried to murder her father.

"Did you see anyone else get out?" Rick asked her.

"After they went over the fence, I went to find my father," Beth told him. "One of the Governor's men was going to kill him, but I shot first. Daddy was just shot in the arm. I got him to the bus and then went to look for Judy and Mika."

"I'm really glad you did," Mika whispered, squeezing Beth's hand.

"Me too," Beth assured her. "How's your arm feeling?"

"It still stings, but I'm okay," the ten year old said.

"You're strong," Beth told her decisively.

"What happened?"

"Mika got her first scar today, a bullet graze," Beth answered Rick. "And she's being a real trooper about it."

The little blonde smiled shyly at that. They walked in silence for a moment until Mika spoke again.

"I hope Lizzie's okay. And Carol."

Rick flinched bodily, and Beth frowned at the reaction. Did he know something about either of them? But he said nothing, and she didn't press him for information.

"I'm sure they are," Beth said firmly. "We're going to find your sister, and my daddy and Maggie, and all the others." She squeezed Mika's hand gently, and the girl smiled at her hopefully.

They walked in silence for a while, until Rick nearly tripped over a branch.

Beth let out a little cry as she nearly fell as well from trying to keep him from collapsing.

"Sorry," Rick said, embarassed. He wasn't used to having to rely on anyone, and she was already carrying Judith…

"It's okay," Beth said simply. She seemed to mean it - of course she did, he thought, Beth Greene was always honest and generous with everyone.

Today, Rick thought, Beth had proved that she was stronger than anyone had known. She may look small, but she was keeping him on his feet. Beth had helped everyone, fighting bravely, despite her position of vulnerability in the guardtower. She had shot the Governor, perhaps not fatally, but she'd stopped her father's murder. And most importantly, she had saved Judith.

Beth looked up at Rick every so often, gazing over his face - the cuts, his swollen eye and lip, and all the blood streaked everywhere. The Governor had beat him badly… she shuddered involuntarily as she remembered what else that horrible man had nearly done. He'd been trying to kill her father, and if she hadn't been there, that monster might have succeeded. Her father was alive, she was sure of it, but because of the Governor, she had no idea when she'd see him again - or Maggie.

"Where are we going?" Mika asked.

"Franklin is the closest town, we should head there," Rick answered roughly. "The rest of the group should go there too.

But it wasn't certain, Beth sighed inwardly. While they had prepared the prison bus as an emergency evacuation plan, they'd never selected a location to meet up at if they were separated.

Rick hissed in pain as he put too much weight down on his injured leg.

"Maybe we should stop for a while," Beth said, immediately concerned. Rick really couldn't take this pace, slow as it was. He had to rest, and bind up her wounds. He had to know that.

"We can't," Rick bit out. "Have to find Carl."

Or maybe he refused to see it, Beth thought in frustration. But she pushed ahead, steadfastly ignoring the ache growing in her back and shoulders from carrying a baby and trying to support the weight of a grown man.

"You're doing great, Judy," Beth murmured to the baby. Judy looked up at her, looking confused and worn out - of course she didn't know what had happened, but she'd definitely been scared by the loud noises.

It was a relief when they found Highway 34. The road was much smoother than the forest path, and they made quicker time as they advanced towards Franklin.

There was nobody on the first stretch of the highway, not a Walker or another survivor, and Beth breathed a little easier. Still, she couldn't stop thinking about who might have made it. Even though they hadn't been at the bus, she figured that Glenn and Maggie were together somewhere. She was equally sure that Michonne and Daryl had made it - they were survivors. She had hope for Carl too - she had to, for Rick's sake. And where would the bus go? She had hope for Franklin, though the group had mostly picked through the nearby town over the last eight months.

"Beth!" Mika cried softly, dropping her hand to point out a Walker stumbling out of the woods on the north side.

"I got it," Rick growled. He pushed ahead on his own, limping determinedly towards the groaning walker. Rick got close up, and sunk his knife into its face, but it had enough momentum that it knocked into him as it went down, making him fall backwards.

Beth watched in horror as Rick collapsed on the ground, cursing. She hurried to his side, bending her knees to reach down for his hand. Once she'd helped him up, she looked him in the eye and decided to be brutally honest.

"Rick, we need to stop. You _need_ rest."

"We can't," Rick refused, shaking his head. "We have to find Carl."

"_Rick Grimes_!" Beth cried in exasperation. "You're going to collapse very soon if we don't stop, and I _can't_ protect you, Mika and Judy on my own."

He was stunned by her commanding tone - and then somewhat sheepish. He couldn't sacrifice their safety because of his desire to find Carl. He just had to have faith that his son would be alright for a little longer on his own.

"We can rest for a little, but wherever it is has to be on the highway so we can see anyone coming by."

"Thank you," Beth told him, stroking Judith's hair. Rick's gaze softened at the sight, and Beth fought to hide a smile. Judith was the man's greatest weakness.

"Now, come back here," Beth ordered, and Rick sighed and held up his arm for her to slide under, giving him her support.

Mika giggled quietly, and Beth smiled back at the girl.

It was thankfully only another hundred yards before they found a small residential road leading off the highway.

"This'll work," Rick decided.

The trees were thinned here, and one house was close enough to see over the highway. He figured that this area was so close that they'd already cleared it out at some prior point, but at least it would be a place to stop.

Rick went to the house and climbed the front steps. Peering inside, he rapped his gun against the open door.

"Anybody home?"

Beth and Mika chuckled a little. Rick opened the door and stepped back, nearly toppling backwards down the stairs.

"Mika, please take Judy for a minute," Beth said suddenly. "Rick, come back here. We don't want to shoot and draw more walkers."

Beth plucked the baby out of the sling and handed Judith over to the ten year old, who willingly took her.

Rick nodded and made his way back to them, agreeing with her point. Beth pulled out her knife and walked slowly towards the house.

A single walker stumbled out of the house. It was a barefoot teenage male in jeans and a UGA sweatshirt.

"Beth, you got this?" Rick asked, resting his hand on his own knife.

"Yeah," Beth answered, and went to meet the walker.

Rick watched as Beth pivoted on her left heel, delivering a low roundhouse kick to the back of the walker's left leg with her right foot. It toppled backwards as its weight shifted, and then Beth was on it, slamming the knife down into its face.

She turned back to him with a little grin, and he couldn't help but smile back approvingly. He'd been amazed to find it had been her in the watchtower - Beth had grown to be quite a good shot. But seeing her this skilled at melee combat was admittedly a new thing.

"Where'd you learn to do that?"

"I've seen Maggie do it," Beth replied, before advancing to the door to call out for any more walkers.

"Hello! Pizza delivery!" She joked for Mika's benefit, and felt warmed when Rick joined the ten year old in soft laughter.

"It sounds good," Rick said after a moment. "Let's get in and make sure it's clear."

"You two stay right here until I clear the downstairs," Beth told them, vanishing inside before Rick could say anything.

Rick looked over at Mika in exasperation.

"Beth knows what she's doing," the ten year old told him confidently.

Rick shook his head and leaned against the wall.

"I never thought otherwise. I've never seen her this bossy before."

"Beth's only bossy when it's important," Mika shrugged, adjusting Judith in her arms.

"Thank you," Rick said after a moment, and when Mika looked confused, he clarified. "For taking care of Judy."

"Oh, you're welcome," Mika smiled back shyly. "You should really thank Beth. When that man shot me, I went back inside to hide in Beth's cell."

She sighed, staring at the ground.

"I was so scared, I couldn't move. If Beth hadn't come to find me, I might have stayed there and both of us would've been eaten."

"Hey," Rick frowned. "You did a good job. Don't worry."

"The downstairs is clear!" Beth declared, sticking her head through the doorway. "And I mean _real_ clear, our runners have definitely hit this house before."

Rick nodded, and led the way in, limping over to the couch. At least there was still furniture, even if there weren't supplies. His gaze turned immediately to the windows overlooking the highway, hoping to see Carl walking by at any minute.

Beth went to the door and closed it behind them.

"I'm going upstairs," Beth told them. "If I shout, it means there's trouble and you guys need to get out, okay?"

Mika nodded nervously as she sat down beside Rick, still holding Judith.

"Beth," Rick called as the blonde stepped onto the first stair. She turned questioningly. "Be careful."

She nodded back at him, feeling glad that he trusted her with this - it had been a long time since she'd been asked to do anything more at the prison than look after Judith.

Beth looked carefully as she reached the top of the stairs. There were six doors. She glanced into the one closest to the stairs. It was definitely a teenage boy's room. The walls were covered with posters of Tony Hawk and action movie stars, there was a skateboard by the dresser, and the decor was decidedly gray-green and boyish. Beth checked the closet before moving on.

The next door on the right was the bathroom, easily cleared. On the left she found another bedroom, likely belonging to a girl around her age. The next bedroom had belonged to a younger child, probably around about eight years old, Beth guessed. There was a full linen closet, and finally she entered the last door and found the master bedroom.

Beth breathed in happily at the sight of a small white crib in the parents' room - maybe there were supplies for Judith here!

"It's safe, come on up," she called down to the others. Right after saying it, she realized how hard it would be for Rick to climb on his own, so she went running downstairs.

Rick was already struggling to his feet when she got there. Beth didn't say a word, she simply caught him before he fell back. He wished he could do this on his own, but he had to be honest with himself and admit he couldn't.

Mika led the way up with Judith while Beth and Rick followed slowly behind them.

"Let's go to in the room to the right," Beth directed them. "It's the only one that looks out over the highway."

Beth sat Rick down on the bed beside Mika, then ran off. When she came back, she was wheeling a small white crib with her.

"Judy, you get your own fancy bed!" Beth told the baby as she plucked her from Mika's arms and deposited her in the crib.

Judith blinked up at her and Beth blew her a kiss before turning to Rick, who was wincing with pain, a hand on his left leg.

"Take off your pants." Beth told him absently.

Rick and Mika both stared at her, wide-eyed.

"I - I mean, I need to dress the wound," Beth said, flushing at how that had came out. "Mika, why don't you check out the other girl's room? Maybe you can find a book to read. Call out if you need anything."

Mika looked between them, and hurried out, giggling as she shut the door behind her.

Beth turned on Rick, her hands on her hips as she glared at him.

"Rick Grimes, you were shot. Now take off your damn pants so I can fix you up!"

"Yes, ma'am." Rick chuckled.

She huffed a little at his response. Rick undid his belt and then his pants - and quickly realized that it was a lot harder to get them down than he'd hoped.

When Beth realized he was struggling, she hurried over to him and began to unlace his boots. Rick felt a momentary feeling of embarassment - but Beth was doing it calmly, not looking like she pitied him in the slightest.

When she'd gotten them untied, she carefully set both boots down on the ground by the bed. She tugged at his jeans, and he just got them out from under him. Beth finished pulling them off, then carefully folded them to set beside him.

He was grateful that she was so no-nonsense about it, it kept him from being too embarassed about letting her undress him. Beth had a good bedside manner - much like her father had.

"Oh my god," Beth whispered when she saw the wound.

"It went clean through," Rick told her, and she tried to smile, but it still looked so _painful_.

"I have gauze," Beth declared, setting down her backpack on the bed. "But I'll need to find something to sterilize it with."

She went to the dresser and found a clean t-shirt.

"Hold this on it until I'm back," Beth ordered.

Rick took the shirt and pressed it down, grimacing at the feeling.

"If you can't find anything, we'll dress it without."

Beth nodded regretfully, and left the room. She checked the bathroom first, and found it utterly empty, except for a few spare washcloths and extra toothbrushes, soap and shampoos. The runners had taken all the medicine and first aid supplies.

Next she checked downstairs, searching every cabinet in the kitchen as well as the pantry. It was completely bare.

Beth bit her lip as she tried to contemplate where else she could find something. Families sometimes kept alcohol in their dining rooms… But there was nothing there either.

"Where would I keep alcohol?" Beth wondered aloud. She'd never had to - she'd never drunk a drop of it in her life, unless you counted Patricia's famous rum cake.

She suddenly remembered the time when she was ten, and she'd found a bottle of wine hidden in Maggie's dresser.

Beth bolted back upstairs. Even before she entered the room, she could hear Judy gurgling contentedly. Beth slowed as she looked in, and smiled at the sight.

Rick had pulled the crib close, and was stroking Judy's hair, watching her with a look that was the closest to contentment that Beth ever saw on him.

Beth walked in quietly, giving him a little wave when he looked up.

"Anything?" Rick asked.

"No, but maybe this boy had some," Beth replied. First she checked the dresser, going through each drawer. When that only unearthed a few erotic magazines tucked under the socks, Beth went to check the bedside table. Finally, she was just left with the closet.

She poked through everything on the hanger, even checking the laundry hamper filled - ick - a teenage boy's old dirty clothes. The last hope was a box of papers on the ground, old school things and such. Beth tugged it out of the closet and starting tossing papers to the side.

About halfway down, she grinned at her find.

"Thank heavens for underage drinking," Beth quipped, as she raised high the thin, oval-shaped bottle.

"Hear hear," Rick laughed, shaking his head.

Beth stood up and brought it over, admiring the label. There was a large pair of wings sketched on the bottle - it was just about the prettiest bottle of alcohol she'd ever seen.

"Angel's Envy." Rick's face had lit up a little.

"It's good?" Beth asked.

"More than."

She collected another t-shirt from the dresser and went to sit by Rick. Beth tried not to wince as she got closer, and had a better look at him. She knew Rick was always so strong for all of them… It just hurt to see him like this. He was covered in his own blood. There was a nasty cut across his nose and a few more on his forehead and temple, a split lip, and his left eye was swollen. The Governor had really gone to town on him. Bruises and scratches covered his bare arms, and she could only imagine what he was hiding underneath his shirt.

Beth poured some of the whiskey on the shirt, and was amused by Rick's groan.

"If there's any left after I treat your wounds, you can have some."

"That's a hard choice," Rick said mischeviously. "Do I want to be real careful not to get an infection, or do I want to save more to drink?"

"The first one," Beth said firmly, rolling her eyes at him. "And I said _some_, not all of it."

Rick chuckled good-naturedly in reply. Beth scooted closer, looking carefully at the wound. She glanced at his face - Rick had closed his eyes and was breathing deeply, steeling himself for this.

Carefully, she began to dab at his wound. It looked horrid, still leaking blood, and Beth could only imagine how much he'd lost in total - it was streaked all down his leg. She worked as efficiently as she could, while also trying to be gentle. He flinched a few times, but didn't make a sound.

Rick watched as Beth worked her magic. In a different world, it would have been awkward to be in his boxers around the girl, but they'd known each other for too long.

He tried not to think about the pain in his leg, instead closing his eyes and trying to think of better memories.

The image of Beth in the mornings immediately sprang to mind. Rick woke up at six every day, to go work on the farm. Since the day after he'd started this routine, Beth made sure to wake up at the same time, without him ever having to ask.

Rick would bring Judy over to see her, and Beth would beam at him before taking Judith in her arms and giving the little girl a kiss. He trusted her with Judy more than probably anyone else. And he relied on her near every day, letting her take Judith every morning and often into the afternoon.

Whenever he got back from the farms, Beth would be in the cellblock with Judith on her lap, sometimes reading to her, sometimes singing. He'd always pause to watch them for a while, enjoying how peaceful a picture they made, and actually relaxing because of it. When Beth noticed him, she'd always smile brightly at him before handing him his daughter to hold.

Now Beth was doctoring him just as carefully as she always held his baby girl. Rick let his eyes open again, breathing carefully so as not to make her think she was doing badly. He admired the way she worked - her hands were steady, and she never looked away from her task.

"Your father would be proud of you," Rick told Beth as she wrapped the gunshot wound with a white cloth.

"Thank you," Beth said softly, sadness taking over her face. She wished she knew where the bus was, where her father had gone. So much of their family was missing.

"Hey." Rick caught her attention by touching his hand gently to her cheek. She looked up and met his eyes as he stroked her face carefully.

"We're going to make it. Because of you."

"Not just me," Beth told him shyly. "I wouldn't have gotten out of the prison alive without you."

"I can say the same," Rick countered calmly. "Probably would've collapsed halfway here without you helping me."

"No you wouldn't have," Beth said confidently. "You're Rick Grimes. You never give up."

He smiled at her, amazed that she believed in him so much. As she smiled back shyly, he carefully pulled back his hand.

Beth carefully wrapped gauze around his wound.

"Tell me if it's too tight."

"It feels fine," Rick lied. Her doctoring was excellent, but the wound itself still hurt like a son of a bitch.

Beth crawled closer so she could wipe at his face with another whiskey-soaked shirt. Rick hissed as it stung.

"Sorry," Beth whispered, wiping as gently as she could.

"Don't be," Rick told her roughly. He closed his eyes and held still so she could work.

He could feel just how slowly and carefully she was wiping down every cut. She rubbed the cloth carefully over the eye he couldn't fully open - it must be rather blackened, Rick realized. She finished with his lip, wiping the cut gently.

The whiskey burned as it had everywhere, but it was better here. Rick licked his lower lip instinctively, savoring the taste.

Beth stared, her heart speeding up a little at the sight of him licking his lips.

Rick's eyes opened and he looked right at her.

"Thank you, Beth."

She found himself caught by his gaze, unable to look away. He was smiling at her in a way he'd never done before, and she was a little too enchanted by it.

"You're welcome," she said softly. She pulled back from him and climbed off the bed.

"I should go see what I can find around the house. We're going to get hungry soon - and thirsty before that. I have a bottle for Judy in the baby bag if she gets hungry."

"You managed to grab that?" He sounded impressed.

"If I hadn't, we might've made it to the bus," Beth admitted. "I took too much time packing and putting Judy in the baby wrap. The tank brought down the ceiling in C block near the back door, and we had to go out the other way."

Rick's eyes widened a little.

"Maybe your timing saved Judy's life," he said after a moment. "If you hadn't taken what you did, you might have both been crushed."

He meant to reassure her, but imagining that fate for the two of them made him grimace, wishing he hadn't. Beth shuddered at the idea.

"And even if you had made it to the bus, you wouldn't have had these for Judy," Rick continued, going through the baby bag. He sifted through it, smiling at the sight of the cans of formula.

"It's hard to find this," Rick told her seriously. "You did the right thing."

"Thanks," Beth said softly. "I'll go search for more supplies around the house." She grabbed her backpack and headed off.

"Good luck." Rick peered into the crib and smiled at the sight of his little girl blinking up at him sleepily. Maybe she wanted a nap - no wonder, after such an exhausting day.

Beth went to check on Mika first. Mika was curled up on the bed in the teen girl's room reading a book, and looked up as Beth walked in.

"Is everything okay?"

"I took care of his injuries. I think that with a little time to heal, he'll be just fine."

Mika smiled in relief.

"Now I'm just checking the house for anything useful," Beth informed her. "Are you reading something good?"

"It's called Betsy-Tacy," Mika told her. "I'm only on the sixth page."

"Ooh," Beth grinned at her as she searched the room. "I loved that series! I bet you're going to like it. Don't let me distract you."

As quietly as possible, Beth hurried around the room, opening drawers and checking under things. She found some clothes and other typical teenage things, like make up and fashion magazines. The pictures of the girl and her family on the bureau suddenly made Beth's heart feel heavy.

This was a lot like what her room had been like, before. In the struggle to survive, she'd forgotten about all these things, about how she'd once fretted over boys and clothes instead of being solely focused on just staying alive.

Beth opened the closet door and almost giggled at the sight of all the dirty laundry crumpled on the floor. She'd always done that when her mother had asked her to clean up, hiding it from everyone else's eyes, even though it wasn't properly cleaned.

As she sifted through the pile, Beth wondered if maybe in a different life, she could have been friends with the girl who lived here. Maybe they would have met in college and hit it off… But in this world, she never had the chance to meet her - she had just taken her things.

Beth was distracted from her sad musings when she found something underneath the dirty clothes. There was a shallow box that had three containers of red gatorade and two large bars of dark chocolate.

"Mika!" Beth whispered excitedly, getting her attention. She brought the box over, and was treated to an excited squeal.

"Can I have some chocolate?"

"I'll leave one of these bars in your hands," Beth told her. "As long as you promise not to eat too much at one time."

"I promise," Mika swore, practically bouncing on the bed in excitement.

Beth handed over the chocolate and a bottle of gatorade.

"We got lucky," Beth smiled. "Red's the best kind."

She left Mika to her treats and went back to Rick. He looked up from Judy and smiled at her. She didn't know how he could smile when he was in such pain, but she was glad of it.

"That's a good find." Rick said, seeing the drinks and food in her hands.

"Help yourself," Beth urged, passing him a gatorade. "I love this stuff."

She opened one bottle for herself, and took a large gulp to sate her thirst before she continued with a few smaller sips. It tasted nice and sweet, as it always had. It was nice to find something familiar like this.

"I never liked this stuff," Rick admitted. "But now - it's not so bad." He'd already drained half the bottle.

"Do you think Judith would be able to drink it?" Beth wondered.

"In a pinch," Rick replied, frowning.

"I just mean, if we can't find clean water to mix with formula," Beth said, revealing one of her fears. "Someone's mostly cleared this house already. But maybe I can find baby food, or at least something I can mash for her, like the peas and carrots she's been eating for the last couple months."

Rick's brow furrowed, suddenly worried about what they might find that his eight month old daughter could eat.

"That worked when we had a garden. I don't know if we'll be lucky enough to find things like that."

"I'll find something," Beth said firmly. "Eat some of the chocolate, Rick."

Beth searched every crevice of the house, from top to bottom, and concluded that she'd gotten lucky in the teenager's rooms. There was nothing much else of use left in the house, besides some extra blankets and plenty of clothing.

"We've definitely cleared this house before," Beth reported as she returned to him. "I'm going to have to look somewhere else."

Rick sat up, frowning.

"Beth, I don't like the idea of you going out on your own…"

"You stay right there," Beth told him with a pointed wave of her finger. "As long as you're healing, your job is to stay here and protect Judy and Mika. My job is to find us food. Judy will need something soon."

"Alright," Rick agreed. She had a point, but he hated the idea of sending her out on her own. The walkers from the prison could be migrating this way any time now.

"Don't go far, and take my gun."

"No," Beth said, stepping back as he tried to hand it to her. "What if you need to defend yourself?"

"What if you need it?" Rick asked exasperatedly.

"Judy is the most important thing," Beth said passionately. "You keep her safe, and I'll keep her fed. I've got my knife, I can defend myself."

"Alright," Rick said after a minute. "Don't go far, and Beth, you promise me you'll run away if there's more than one walker out there."

She blinked at him a few times.

"I will," she lied, trying to keep her voice light.

"Oh no," Rick said, pointing at her. "I've got a thirteen year old son. I know how this works. You have to say you promise."

Beth sighed, looking at him, then at Judy.

"I promise I'll run," she said, twisting her fingers together behind her thigh.

But it was apparently enough for Rick, who breathed out in relief.

"Anything I should be looking for besides food and water?"

"More formula if you can find it," Rick said immediately. "Baby food, ammo, guns… Maybe some stuff to make a sign. You can put it up by the highway, so if Carl or the others come by, they can find us."

"Alright," Beth said, nodding quickly. "I'll be back before you know it."

She waved to him, a little smile on her lips, and Rick tried to smile back, but he was worried.

"Be safe."

"Yes, Mr. Grimes," Beth sing-songed back at him, and left to find supplies.

"Hi?"

Rick looked up at the doorway, and smiled at Mika.

"Hey, Mika."

"Can I sit with you?" The ten year old asked shyly.

"Of course," Rick said automatically.

Mika climbed up on the bed.

"I'm reading this book," she told him, displaying the cover for him. "Do you want to hear?"

"Sure," Rick said after a moment.

Mika began to read to him, and he turned his head to look out the window. She wasn't a half-bad storyteller, he realized, but his mind was too distracted. Now he wasn't just worried about Carl, he was also worried about Beth, and hoping to God that she would make it back.

Rick honestly didn't know how he'd make it without her help, how he could care for Judy and Mika without her. He'd been relying on her to basically be Beth's nanny since day one - and he hated to admit it, but he probably didn't know half the things Beth did about his own daughter.

Darkness overwhelmed his vision before he knew what was happening.

* * *

"Rick? Rick?" Beth shook him again, but he wasn't waking up. "Come on, please!"

She felt his pulse, _still beating,_ Beth thought with relief… But why wouldn't he wake up? Had he lost too much blood and passed out? Were there internal injuries that were going to kill him?

"Is he going to die?" Mika asked softly.

_No,_ Beth wanted to say, but she bit her lip. She didn't want to make a false promise.

"We just have to give him time to sleep it off," Beth told Mika. "Are you hungry?" She went to pick up Judy, who was whimpering.

"Yeah," Mika said, distracted for the moment. "What did you find?"

"Oh, just _lots_ of stuff," Beth winked at her. She settled onto the bed beside Rick, with Judith in her lap. Mika joined her, peeking into the box of food Beth had set down.

Beth had cleared the house next door, and fortunately she only encountered two walkers in the yard. She'd taken them out with her knife, and searched until she got lucky.

The house had been raided before, and the pantry had seemed empty. But when she'd searched the darkened corners, she'd discovered a box shoved under the stairs, nearly hidden, which was filled with canned tuna, beans, tomatoes, peaches, and sweet peas, and two boxes of probably stale crackers.

Right next to the box had been a twenty four pack of half-litre water bottles. When she'd found them, she'd had to reach out and touch them to make sure they were real. When she realized that they were, Beth had closed her eyes and known that God was watching over them.

"Church Food Drive," Mika read from the side of the box. "What's that?"

"Sometimes a congregation would get together to donate things they can spare to poor or homeless people," Beth explained. "A food drive asks just for items of food, and drink."

Mika took out a can of tomatoes and smiled.

"I love tomatoes. I'm glad they didn't give this to the church. Then we wouldn't have found it."

"Me too," Beth agreed. While Mika was checking through the food, Beth checked Rick's pulse again. It was still there, but it seemed weaker than it should be.

Beth wished she knew what else she could do for him, but maybe he just needed to sleep and heal. She tried instead to focus on the girls. She picked out a can of peas, deciding that she could mush some up and feed them to Judith for her supper.

"It's not as fresh as the stuff your daddy grew for you," Beth told Judith, who was looking up at her with wide eyes. She opened the can of peas with a can opener she'd found - food was looted quickly, but nearly every home still had utensils and kitchen implements still around.

Beth took a moment to squish the peas a little more with the spoon.

"Did you decide what you want?"

"Tuna and crackers," Mika decided. She was able to open the small can herself, and began to spoon it out with the saltines.

"Here comes the airplane!" Beth said cheerily, swooping a spoonful of peas in front of Judith's face.

Judith smiled at the familiar phrase, and opened her mouth to be fed.

"Ahh," Beth murmured, beaming at Judith, as the airplane 'landed' in her mouth.

"This is yummy," Mika spoke up as she tried to scrape the last of the tuna out with a cracker. "Thanks for dinner."

Beth smiled at her, leaning over to press a kiss to the girl's hair.

"You're very welcome. If you're done, you can keep reading."

Mika nodded and pulled out her book, lying back on the pillow next to Rick.

Beth continued to feed Judith mushed peas until she recognized the signs of the baby being full.

"You're such a sweet girl," Beth told the baby, and laid her back on the bed. She moved over and took Rick's wrist, relieved that the pulse was still there.

Beth stayed there for a while longer, watching the girls and then out the window. She fed Judith half of the bottle, then ate her own dinner, half a can of black beans, while amusing the baby.

It was growing dark, and Beth found herself wishing intently that someone would come by already. This was the way to the closest town, so wouldn't the others have come here?

Beth knew that there were dozens of directions the survivors could have gone in. They could be taking the highway to Franklin like them, but if they were on foot, they might be traveling through the woods instead. Or maybe they'd follow the Chattahoochee River north… Or the bus could take the highway northeast to Newnan.

Judith's whimpering distracted her from her worries, as it often did. Beth picked her up to burp her over her shoulder.

She eyed Rick, forcing herself to listen that horrid little voice of sensibility in her head and said that he might die. It was a shocking idea, Rick Grimes dead. He'd always been such a pillar of strength, saving them from the farm and from their own follies, teaching her how to put down walkers… He'd been a good leader, although he was certainly human. Beth knew how Lori's death had affected him - he'd been half mad for a while, but he'd come back from it, proving himself strong enough to get through it. Even when they'd had the council, Beth had always felt comfortable going to him when she needed something, always trusted him more than almost anybody, along with Maggie and Daddy.

If Rick died, it would just be her, Mika and Judith. Her heart thudded worriedly at the thought. She loved Judith like her own daughter, and she'd die for either of the girls in a second, but how could she care for them, and kill walkers, and find them food and shelter?

Judith needed her father, Beth thought grimly, and she needed Rick too. More than that, she would miss him terribly. She was so used to him being there to look out for them, smiling at her when he found her singing to Judy, and kissing the top of her head every evening when she returned Judy to him. Rick Grimes was a constant in her life, one she desperately didn't want to lose.

Whenever she was worried, he'd meet her eyes, put a hand on her shoulder and assure her that all would be well - he would make sure of it. When he'd brought her and Judith to be quarantined, she hadn't had to tell him she was scared - he'd just wrapped her in his arms and held her until she could breathe steadily again, feeling safe and protected, trusting him to be come for them.

Rick always looked out for her. Now it was her turn to look after him.

"Please wake up, Rick." Beth told him softly. "Mika, honey, it's time for bed."

"Alright," Mika agreed. "It's getting harder to read now, anyway."

Beth walked Mika to the girl's room and took the time to tuck her under the covers.

"I want you to push this dresser against the door," Beth told the girl, and Mika nodded in understanding.

"So walkers won't get in."

"Just in case," Beth assured her.

Mika hurried over to her, and hugged her around the waist. Beth shifted Judith to one hip and hugged the girl back thoroughly.

"You get some sleep, now."

In the hall, Beth waited to hear the sounds of Mika pushing the dresser against the door.

"Good night," she called softly, and heard Mika answering the same back.

Beth took Judy back to Rick's room and set her in the crib. Sitting on the bed, she tried to wake him once again, to no avail.

He just lay there, his breathing slow and labored, his eyes still closed. Beth studied his injuries - his face looked a bit better than it had earlier, but what if he did have internal injuries, or something on his chest? She had to find out.

Beth reached out carefully, and began to unbutton his shirt. She winced at the sight of another slash across his chest - and several older scars. She wondered what they were all from.

She hissed as the sight of the bruising, which stretched across his right side, going across his belly. It looked bad, and she could only hope that he didn't have any internal injuries - she didn't know she could help him if he did.

Glancing up at his face, Beth lightly traced her fingertips over the older scars on his chest and shoulder. The gunshot was likely the one Carl had told her Rick had sustained before the world ended. And this one had to be where that crazy man, Rick's former friend, had stabbed him.

She marveled for a moment at how many injuries he'd suffered by defending other people. He was scarred from all the battles, but he'd pulled through every time so far. He just had to pull through this time too.

Beth drew her hand back quickly as she realized she been touching him for a little too long. She cleaned the cut he had with a whiskey-soaked cloth, and even rolled him to his side a bit to look at his back - thankfully there were no more wounds there.

She grabbed one of her finds from the run, a small box of assorted bandaids. It was nearly empty, with only four remaining - two were flesh colored, while two were meant for kids - one had a little Elmo, the other a little Cookie Monster, which grinned up at her.

Beth giggled at the images. The fun bandaids were meant for a kid like Mika or Judith. Considering his wounds, she put the two regular bandaids on his forehead and across his nose. She considered his other injuries, and decided to put Cookie Monster on the biggest cut on his right arm. She saved the last one for when she changed Mika's bandage in the morning.

When she pulled back and set the supplies on the table, Beth realized that Rick was now practically naked, except for his boxers and socks. Blushing, Beth pulled the covers out from under him, and tucked him in properly. Now he looked more like he was just sleeping.

She didn't know what else she could do for him at the moment. And if he did die… They should be in another room when night fell.

Looking back at him sadly, Beth began to carry things over to the master bedroom, and wheeled over the crib with a sleeping Judith in it. She left Rick his bottle of gatorade, and after a moment's hesitation, left him his gun as well.

Finally, she closed the door and pushed a small bookshelf from the hallway to the top of the stairs. If a Walker did come in, she would hear them knocking that over to get by.

In the master bedroom, Beth closed the door and did a quick inventory of the remaining supplies. One bar of chocolate, five cans of beans, four cans of tuna, four and a half cans of peas, five cans of tomatoes, one and most of a second box of crackers. And twenty-four bottles of water.

What was there to do now, Beth fretted? She didn't think she could sleep - she could still feel nervous energy flowing through her.

Beth eyed the bottle of whiskey. She'd never tried any before. But she shouldn't, not when she had to look after all of them. She tucked it back in the box with the food, and looked around.

She approached the vanity and examined the various beauty products. She remembered the first time Maggie had shown her how to apply makeup, how Beth had insisted on only a light blue makeup to be proper, even when her sister had wanted to give her cat eyes with liquid eyeliner.

Beth bit her lip and glanced in the full length mirror. She looked ragged, and there was blood on her arms and face… She wanted to be clean again. She had to do something, or she'd start thinking about…

She walked to the bathroom and began to strip down. She looked fairly horrible all over, streaked with dirt and blood, and on top of that, she was far too skinny. Her breasts had never been large, but they were certainly fuller before the apocalypse. They were tiny handfuls now, and her hips were bony like never before.

She pulled the drain up, and tried for water. There was a little remaining in the pipes, and it flowed into the sink. Beth smiled - it wasn't good for drinking, but it was good enough for washing. Beth wet a washcloth and dabbed soap on it.

First, she scrubbed her face, then moved on to the rest of her body. It hurt to wash her shoulder and her back, and she knew that she must have bruises from the rifle kickback and whatever bit of the tower that had fallen on her, though she couldn't see them in the light. When she finally felt clean, free of blood and dirt, she sighed in relief. In the moonlight she saw that she was pink and almost shiny.

Glancing into the hall, Beth grabbed her things and darted across to her room again, sliding the door shut behind her. She dropped the dirty clothes and went over to the vanity, sitting on the chair naked. Her next step was to take up the bristle brush and begin brushing her hair. She stared at herself in the mirror, continuing until she could run the brush through all of it without it snagging on everything.

Beth braided her hair carefully and tied it off with a small black hairband that she kept around her left wrist. Then she began to go through the drawers.

There was a pair of silky pajamas in the top drawer. She touched them, enjoying the soft feeling, but quickly stopped herself. If a walker or something worse came by, she'd have to be ready to fight them.

First she picked out a pair of clean purple panties. It felt a little weird wearing another woman's underwear, but she'd much rather be wearing something clean than reusing her old pair. They fit nicely, and Beth thought that it actually looked rather pretty. The woman's bras were a little too big, but she found a couple sports bras that would fit. Beth pulled a light purple one over her head, and felt pleased that for the first time in a while, her underthings were matching.

Beth checked the other drawers for proper clothing. The jeans were too big around her hips, but one pair of dark blue leggings was comfy and fit her well. She pawed through the shirts until she found a nice set - a soft cotton t-shirt in a faded dark red, and a blue and red plaid overshirt.

She put on her ensemble, keeping the overshirt unbuttoned. She rolled it up to her sleeves, and did a little spin in the mirror. She looked reasonably clean and pretty now, and felt a little more satisfied.

Beth went over to look at Judith. The baby was still sleeping. Beth blew the girl a kiss before climbing into bed. She made sure that her knife was on the table right beside her, and so was her pistol, even though it was out of ammo. An empty gun still had its uses - she could bludgeon a walker, or frighten an intruder away.

She lay under the covers for a while, looking up at the ceiling. She was alive, and she had Judy, and she still prayed Rick would stay with them… But so much had happened today. She didn't know when she'd see her family again, her father and Maggie, Carol and the other children, Carl, Daryl…

"No crying," Beth said fiercely. She tried to blank out her mind, blinking furiously.

It took a while, but finally, sleep found her.


	2. Chapter 2

Songs included: A Summer Wasting (Belle and Sebastian)

* * *

_Day 2_

"Beth?"

She woke up at the soft call. It took a moment to re-orient herself - she was in a strangely comfortable bed, it was dark, and by the bed was a crib… Beth realized where she was, and pushed herself into a sitting position, reaching out to find her knife - thankfully, it was right where she'd left it. She looked up at the girl standing in the doorway.

"Mika, is everything alright?"

"I went to the bathroom and then I got scared," Mika admitted.

"Do you want to sleep with me?"

Mika nodded wordlessly. She closed the door quietly behind her and approached Beth, her feet pitter pattering on the hardwood floor.

Beth pulled back the covers for the little girl to crawl under. When Beth lay back, Mika was quick to snuggle into her side.

"You were very brave today," Beth reminded her.

"Not as brave as you," Mika whispered into her shirt. Beth wrapped her arms about the girl, holding her gently.

"Actually, you remind me a lot of myself," Beth told her. "I was only seventeen when this started, but my father and big sister kept me protected for a long time. I didn't have to kill a walker for three months."

"Really?" Mika couldn't believe it.

"Really," Beth assured her. "When our family farm was overrun by walkers, we went on the run, always moving from place to place - for eight whole months. My father still tried to keep me safe, hiding me from the world. I nearly got bit once while I was staying back at the camp. Rick saved my life. Everyone else chided me, telling me I should have stayed in the car."

Mika listened silently.

"See, I left the car to kill the walker. Lori was sleeping - she was Judith's mother, you see, and she was pregnant with her at the time. I didn't want it to disturb her 'cause she hardly ever slept. So I took a knife and went after it. I had no idea how to fight 'cause nobody had ever trained me. When everyone else was done lecturing me, Rick took me aside and told me that I had the right idea, I just needed training. He showed me a few moves that day - how to dodge, where it was easiest to stab to kill a walker… And later on, how to shoot. Then he started putting me on guard. My dad protested, but I'd gotten better, and I was suddenly more confident because Rick believed in me. While they were arguing, I made my first headshot."

Beth remembered every bit of that moment with pride.

"They just stopped talking and stared at me. Then daddy laughed and said that I'd grown up without him realizing it. He said that he could rest peacefully knowing I was on watch. I felt so proud."

"Will you teach me how to shoot?"

"Absolutely," Beth told her, though her voice suddenly felt thick. Rick was the better shot and a great teacher, she wanted to tell Mika that he would train her - but she couldn't promise that. Not when she didn't know if he'd make it.

"I'll teach you how to fight too," Beth promised, stroking Mika's hair. "We're family now, Mika. We'll take care of each other."

"Mmm," the girl murmured, snuggling closer.

Beth stroked her hair until she fell asleep, and soon she was drifting away too.

* * *

Beth woke to the familiar sounds of Judith crying. The sun was just starting to rise, and she was surprised and grateful that Judy had slept this long.

She slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Mika. The girl was burrowed against her side, one arm thrown over Beth's waist, and Beth smiled at how peaceful she looked.

Beth took Judith out of her crib and laid her down on a clean shirt on the floor. She undressed her and changed her diaper, throwing the used one out the window. For good measure, she wiped Judy's face clean, then picked her up again and kissed her little forehead.

"Do you like it?" Beth asked softly as Judy plucked at her new outfit with her little fingers.

She had found a box of baby clothes in the parents' closet. They were probably hand-me-downs from their older kids, but they weren't too worn, and they were clean. Beth had decided to dress Judith in a cute little brown dress she'd found, and tucked a few larger outfits into the baby bag, knowing that Judy would need some to grow into.

"Beth?" Mika was sitting up in bed, yawning as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Good morning," Beth greeted her warmly. "Would you mind giving Judith a bottle? I'd like to check on Rick."

"Sure," Mika agreed.

Beth put the baby in her arms, then sat down to put on her cowgirl boots. She stretched carefully, then she picked up her knife, flexing her fingers, and made her way quietly into the hall, closing the door behind her.

When she reached the room where Rick had slept, Beth knocked cautiously.

"Rick?"

There was no answer. Beth took a deep breath and opened the door. Rick was still in bed, exactly where she'd left him. She walked carefully closer. Rick was still, too still…

"Rick? Please be alive. Don't give up on me."

Beth came closer, holding the knife firmly in front of her. He moaned suddenly, low and rattling.

Her heart fell in her chest. Not Rick, please no, Beth thought fervently.

Rick's eyes opened slightly, not enough for her to see, and he reached his right arm slowly towards her, groaning.

"No," Beth cried softly. "No, Rick, please…" Her tears began to flow freely as she clutched the knife.

He leaned towards her, and fell off the bed. She instinctively took a step towards him before she was able to stop herself. Rick groaned and rolled onto his side, extending his arm in her direction.

Still sobbing, Beth stepped forward, keeping the knife in front of her.

"I'm so sorry," she wept. "I'm going to miss you so much, Rick. I - I promise I'll take care of Judy."

She had just raised her knife for the blow when she heard it -

"_Beth_," he croaked.

"Rick!" Beth cried, falling to her knees beside him. She let her knife fall, clattering to the floor. She pulled him up and into her arms.

"You're alive," Beth said wondrously. She took a deep breath and then stood, hauling him into the bed and tucking him back in. He was warm, not _cold, _she thought happily. Beth pulled back reluctantly, and then turned to grab the half-bottle of gatorade she'd left with him.

"Here," Beth said softly. She cupped the back of his head in one hand, and poured small amounts of the gatorade into his mouth.

Rick swallowed hungrily, and soon he'd downed it all.

"Beth," he said, his voice still rough, but no longer as hoarse. "How long was I out? Where's Judy?"

"She's safe with Mika in the other room," Beth told him, beaming at him. "You slept for about twelve hours."

He was exhausted, beat up, and had a bullet wound in his leg, but he was awake, and so gloriously _alive_. She felt overwhelmed with relief.

"I'm so glad you woke up," Beth told him breathlessly.

"Me too," Rick said honestly, meeting her eyes. He reached out and grabbed her hand, then brought it to his mouth and pressed a kiss to her knuckles.

Beth flushed brilliantly.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I got run over - and shot," Rick said wryly. "But I'll live."

"You'd better," Beth said sternly, though she was beaming at him. "Rick, don't you ever scare me like that again. I couldn't wake you up for anything."

"I'm sorry," Rick told her, touched by how much she cared. "I probably passed out from the blood loss. My leg's… Well, it's not exactly feeling great, but you fixed it up good."

"I'm glad," Beth said sincerely. "Can I get you something? There's food and some water."

"Judy?" Rick asked hopefully.

"O' course," Beth beamed at him.

She ran from the room to get Mika and Judy.

"Rick's awake, you can go say hi," she told Mika.

The girl brightened at the news, and took off as soon as Beth had taken Judy.

"You're alive," Mika said excitedly.

"That I am," Rick laughed softly.

"I'm glad," the young girl told him. "Do you want some chocolate? Beth gave me a whole bar."

"I'd love some," Rick said gratefully. "That's very generous of you."

Mika went to find the chocolate, nearly colliding with the crib as Beth wheeled it in.

"Hey Judy, your daddy's awake," Beth crooned sweetly. Judith gurgled happily, raising her arms to be lifted, and Beth obliged.

She lifted the seven month old in her arms, holding her close and kissing Judy's cute little nose.

"Want to say hi?" Beth whispered before nuzzling their noses together and making Judith giggle.

Rick watched them and marveled at the sight of them together. With the sun illuminating them, they looked like a pair of angels. He'd relied on Beth to care for Judith for so long that Beth had become a mother to his baby girl. Beth held her with such tenderness, it was obvious how much she loved his daughter - and how much Judy loved her in turn. Nobody could make Judith smile like Beth did, not even him, Rick knew.

"Hey, Judith," Rick said fondly, taking the baby in his arms when Beth offered her.

"She had a bottle and some peas last night," Beth informed him as she came to sit next to him. "And another bottle this morning. I was thinking of mashing her some peaches for lunch."

"Peaches and peas?" Rick asked, intrigued. "You found some good stuff."

"You have no idea," Beth laughed happily. "The basement looked emptied, but there was a box of goods for a food drive hiding under the stairs. Five cans each of sweet peas, peaches, tomatoes, tuna, and refried beans. And there was a big pack of water bottles and two boxes of crackers, I had to make two trips."

"That's great," Rick breathed, quite stunned by their providence.

Mika came back in then, carrying her book and her bar of chocolate.

"Chocolate for breakfast?" Beth giggled as Mika began to unwrap the foil.

"Rick's hungry," Mika said pleadingly.

"How about we start with something bigger, and finish with chocolate?" Beth suggested. "Give me a minute and I'll pull something together."

"Okay," Mika smiled at her.

Beth practically skipped her way downstairs, feeling much better than she had earlier. Rick was going to be okay. Suddenly she felt that things might really be alright.

Rick watched her bound away, grinning despite the pain. Beth had done a run all on her own. What's more, she'd taken care of not only herself and Judy, but him.

Glancing down, he realized that he was shirtless. And, he was cleaner and more bandaged than he'd been before last night… Cookie Monster was smiling up at him from his right arm. Rick laughed quietly at the sight.

He caught Mika staring at his chest with wide eyes.

"Do I look that bad?" Rick asked wryly.

Mika hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"I've had worse," Rick assured her, but she didn't look convinced. "I got shot in the chest and didn't wake up for months."

"Like a coma?" Mika queried.

"Yeah, exactly like it. When I woke up, I was the only living person left in the hospital," Rick told her. "The Turn had happened while I was asleep. I had no idea what was going on, or where everybody had gone. I got lucky, and found a man and his son who helped me heal, and taught me about the walkers and what I had to do to survive."

"Is it that scar?" She pointed to the one on his left side.

"Yeah," Rick nodded. "Good eye."

"What's that one from?"

"Stabbed."

Mika's mouth twitched up in a smile.

"You get hurt a lot."

"I'm a sheriff," Rick retorted. "Part of the job."

Mika nodded understandingly.

"That means you were a cop, right?" When Rick nodded, she continued. "So what do sheriffs do now?

"Well, I kill a lot of walkers," Rick chuckled. "Try to protect good people, and stop bad people from hurting others."

"That's good," Mika said with a nod.

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" Rick asked her without really thinking it through. What could she really be in this world?

Mika paused. She looked over at Rick's wounds, then out the window. She could see three walkers moving slowly down the highway, towards the prison.

"Alive," she said after a moment.

Rick's face lost all of its humor. The two of them sat in silence for a while, both looking out the window.

"Hello, I'm Beth, your server today," Beth beamed at them as she walked jauntily through the bedroom door. "And welcome to the Greene Family Restaurant! I've got three specials of the day. Who ordered these fine meals?"

"I did," Mika piped up.

"One for me, please," Rick grinned at his 'waitress'.

"Here you go, Miss," Beth winked at Mika as she handed her a plate from her loaded tray. "And one for you, Mr. Grimes."

"Thank you, Miss Beth," Rick laughed, accepting his plate.

One side had a pile of refried beans with some diced canned tomatoes on top of it, then there was a little pile of sweet peas, and finally one of peaches.

"This looks delicious," Rick informed her. "Thank the chef for me."

Beth giggled happily, sitting herself on the bed with her own plate.

"I'll do that, Mr. Grimes."

Rick glanced at Beth's plate, then at the both of theirs. He had the largest serving, Mika had what seemed a reasonable amount for a girl her age, and Beth had even less.

"Beth," he said quietly, pointing at her plate. "What's this?"

"My brunch?" Beth asked, confused.

"You didn't take enough for yourself." Rick lifted his plate over and began to spoon some of his serving onto her plate.

"No, Rick, I'm fine," Beth protested. "Please don't! I'm not that hungry."

"I looked in that box you brought," Rick declared. "That's enough food for all of us for a few days, eating _good_. You're the one going out and _doing_ stuff, you need more than this."

"I've always got a small appetite," Beth said, avoiding his eyes.

"It's true," Mika piped up between bites. "I've never seen Beth finish a meal at the prison."

Beth gave her a warning look, but Mika didn't notice.

"She'd split like half of it between me and Lizzie," Mika continued. "Or mash it up for Judith. She just doesn't get real hungry."

Beth looked up nervously at Rick.

His mind began to race. Beth _always_ ate like this? He'd heard her stomach rumble before when he took Judith in the afternoon, and he'd remind her to get her dinner, figuring that she just had a big appetite.

"You always eat like this?" Rick demanded.

Beth gave a little shrug.

"Not anymore," Rick said roughly. "Long as we got food, you eat the same as us. You're _not_ allowed to starve yourself."

Beth sighed, looking over at Judith.

"And I'm going to watch you eat," Rick continued. "Make sure you don't give it all to Mika and Judith."

"Yes sir," Beth muttered grumpily.

"Hey."

Rick caught her cheek in his hand before she could turn away.

"Beth, you matter." Rick said, looking at her seriously. "You deserve to eat well, and you need to, in order to stay strong."

She couldn't bring herself to look away from his gaze.

"Alright," Beth said softly. Rick nodded, and drew his hand back from her cheek.

They ate in silence for a while, everyone digging in. Now that Rick wasn't letting her get away with sneaking her portions to the girls, Beth let herself enjoy her full plate of food. She snuck glances at him, struck by how much he cared about her. He wasn't going to let her be self-sacrificing. It meant a lot that he'd noticed, and told her frankly that he knew she had to treat herself better. Maggie and her father had never noticed what Rick had noticed so quickly.

Mika ate quietly, happy with the meal. It wasn't anything as good as what she'd gotten used to in her four months living at the prison, but it was better than what she'd eaten on most days before then. Mika, Lizzie and her father had been living on the road for months after they had to flee their town, and some days they'd had nothing to eat at all. They had learned to count themselves lucky if they found a bag of stale chips to share between the three of them.

"It was a good idea mixing the tomatoes and refried beans together," Rick told Beth.

"Mmm hmm," Mika agreed with her mouth full.

"I bet if I could find some enchilada sauce, it'd be even better. Not as good as real enchiladas, but I'm pretty sure walkers overran my favorite Mexican restaurant," Beth said wistfully. "My family always went on Thursday nights. I miss getting to eat out."

"We'd always do pizza on Friday nights," Rick recollected. "We always had to get two pizzas, 'cause Lori and I loved pineapple on our pizza and Carl hated it."

"Was pizza your favorite food?" Mika asked.

"It's still up there," Rick said thoughtfully. "But the top spot might have to go to… Cherry pie."

"I like pumpkin pie the best," Mike declared. "Especially at Thanksgiving. I loved Thanksgiving dinners so much… I wish we could have a turkey someday, with gravy and cranberry sauce…"

"Thanksgiving was great," Beth agreed. "If we're choosing favorite pies, I'd have to go with rhubarb."

"Rhubarb? Isn't that really sour?" Mika asked between bites of her peas.

"Not when you bake it with lots of sugar," Beth giggled. "Then it's a little sour and a lot sweet, and very tart. My mom would always make it for me for my birthday dinners, after we finished the pot licker and corn on the cob."

"Pot licker?"

"It's a head of greens, usually collards, cooked with onion and a lot of garlic, left in whole cloves. Then you put in some ham, some broth, some chili flakes, and let it cook for a while. It was delicious," Beth explained, her eyes closing as she imagined her favorite meal. "And the corn was hot and _dripping_ with butter."

Her head tilted to the side and she moaned softly at the memory. Rick swallowed harshly and quickly looked anywhere but at Beth.

"I'm full," Beth said, breaking the silence as she wondered what had Rick staring down at his empty plate. "I was thinking of going on another run."

Rick's head snapped back up, his eyes suddenly filled with concern.

"Aren't we set for now?"

"I'd like to find a weapon for Mika," Beth told him. "And we don't what we might miss if I don't at least look."

"Alright," Rick said, nodding. This time he didn't bother trying to limit her - he wanted her to know he trusted her with this. She'd shown that she could be.

Beth beamed at him in relief.

"Just come back soon?"

"Always," Beth promised, and headed out, pressing a kiss first to Mika's forehead, and then to Judith's. She emptied her backpack onto the floor, then headed downstairs with it on her back, her knife in her hand.

There were exactly five houses on the residential street, and she'd searched the one next door last night, so there were three more to pick from.

Beth chose the one right across the street because she could see the small playground in the backyard - it made her hope that there might be more items that would be useful for Judith.

The front door was locked, so she went around to the back door. It was wideopen, and she was instantly on alert.

"Anyone home?"

There was a telltale groan, and she stepped back, calling again to summon it closer.

As the walker came outside, Beth began to approach, but stopped when two more stumbled out after it - one larger, and one smaller.

She just had a knife - she'd have to be smart. There was ten feet between the first and the next two.

Beth stepped forward and kicked the female walker's leg out from under her. It was down for at least a moment, but she didn't have time to stab it - the next one, an older male, was already close.

He had white hair and a white beard, and for a moment he looked a lot like her father. She quickly refocused, realizing it was just a walker who had a few superficial similarities.

Beth snapped her leg out again, but he only stumbled, not falling. She ran in a circle, coming behind it, and shoved the walker before it could completely turn to face her.

The walker fell forward, and Beth slammed a knee into its back, sliding her knife into the back of its head with a nasty slick noise. She rolled away and got up again right away.

The first one she'd knocked back was crawling towards her, while the last one standing, a young woman, was just a few feet away. It lunged at her, and Beth sidestepped, kicking out with her left leg, which was weaker than her right.

The female walker was down, but the other one was coming closer. Beth kicked it in the face, and followed it up with another stab. It collapsed, now truly dead, and she turned back to the last one.

The girl had been her height, a slight brunette in a green dress. Beth didn't bother kicking her again - she walked right up to her and buried the blade through the walker's eye.

It was done. Beth looked around for any more threats, and was relieved when she couldn't spot any. That was harder than what she was used to, and her breath was coming in noticeable pants.

Beth took a minute to rest, looking upwards to admire the blue sky with puffy white clouds.

When she had her breath back, she entered the house, closing the door behind her. She cleared the downstairs quietly, checking the second floor and finally the basement.

Only when she was sure there were no more Walkers did she really begin searching.

The kitchen was empty, except for one high cupboard, which had half a container of dried oats and a mostly used jar of honey, both of which she grabbed. Beth made her way through the living room, collecting a working lighter, and found some mouthwash and toilet paper in the downstairs bathroom.

Upstairs, she found two unopened toothbrushes and some new toothpaste stashed under the sink, along with some aspirin, baby shampoo, and tampons. They all went in the bag, and she moved on to the bedrooms.

The guest room was fairly barren, though there was a nice scented candle that she grabbed. In the teen's bedroom, Beth found a metal baseball bat.

She swung it a few times, thinking that the light weapon would be good for Mika. With her size, the ten year old would need a melee weapon that allowed her to fight from a distance. She wouldn't be able to win a grapple with a walker, and had to take it out before it got close.

After a moment, Beth grabbed a couple of comic books. Carl liked comics, and maybe Mika would too. She found a few fruit roll ups in a dresser drawer, and she made sure to take them too - she'd never liked them herself, but these days, anything edible was worth taking.

In the final bedroom, she found the most exciting thing - in the closet, on the highest shelf, tucked behind some hats, was a lockbox. Beth took down the box and set it on the bed. She grabbed her knife, held the lockbox steady in the other hand, and slammed the blade into the lock.

The lock broke, and Beth grinned. When she opened it, she found some papers and passports, and frowned… Until she lifted them up. There was what she'd been looking for.

Beth reverently took out the the small revolver, tucked into a holster. It was a much better size than most of the guns she'd used back at the priso - it actually fit in her hands, and it wasn't absurdly heavy like most guns she'd seen. It had a reddish wood grip and the rest was a shiny black metal.

She popped out the cylinder and checked that it was fully loaded. Beth took a minute to take off her belt and hook the gun holster to it. Since she was right handed, she put the gun on her right side, and moved the knife to her left. She moved the boxes of ammo from the lockbox to her backpack, and headed over to the mirror.

She practiced quick-drawing the gun, and nearly fumbled it to the ground. She managed to catch it, then reholstered it and tried again. This time she drew it quickly, bringing it up to point at the mirror. Pleased with her reaction time, she put away her new revolver and began to look around the vanity by the mirror.

There was a box full of make-up. Feeling curious, she poked through it, until she found a light red lipstick that she thought might be pretty. After a moment of hesitation, Beth applied a layer of the lipstick to her lips.

Beth looked at herself in the mirror and stared in surprise. She fancied that she looked older when she wore make-up. She didn't bother with anything else - it would just get messy. Beth just tossed the small tube of lipstick into her backpack.

Her eyes turned to the jewelry box atop the vanity. Beth opened the box and sifted through various bracelets, rings, earrings, and necklaces. They were pretty, but they didn't inspire the same emotion that her own simple jewelry did.

Beth wore three bracelets on her left wrist. At the top was the leather band that Shawn had made into a bracelet for her seventeenth birthday, with her name carved onto the soft leather inside. Then there was the indian beaded bracelet her mother had given her on their last Christmas together. The last bracelet, simple black beads, was from Patricia. By wearing them, she felt like a part of them was always with her. She didn't want a bracelet that meant nothing.

She hadn't taken them off since the day they'd left the farm. She'd lost them, and she'd lost her home, but she'd been determined not to lose these, not ever. When Lori had dragged her away from the burning house, Beth had been wearing a necklace Jimmy had given her - a tiny silver heart on a silver chain. The clasp on it had broken a few months later, and she'd lost it without knowing where. She'd been struck by the loss at the time, but eventually she'd moved on, just as she had to move on from the loss of her family and Jimmy and Patricia.

Maggie had replaced the necklace one day. She'd returned from a run and given Beth a little pendant of two silver hearts crossed together. Beth had tried to find chains for it, and Daryl had solved the problem by bringing her a thin black cord, even tying it together for her. She'd taken it off occasionally to clean, but she swore to herself that she wouldn't take it off again until she found both of them - her sister, and the silent archer who'd slowly but surely become part of the family.

One thing did catch her eye - a small silver bracelet with flowers engraved on it. Beth picked it up, wondering, and decided to take it - maybe Mika would like it. She hadn't noticed the younger girl wearing any jewelry.

Beth giggled when she found a pair of diamond studs in their own box hidden in the top drawer. They were pretty, and she wondered if they were real, or just cubic zirconium. In any case, she carefully put them in her ears, and admired herself for a moment.

There was nothing wrong with looking pretty, Beth figured. She could still fight walkers like this - it wasn't like she'd gone crazy and would be trying to run from killers in high heels and a prom dress. She wondered momentarily what it would have been like to have gone to prom. She'd had the dress all picked out, a pretty white number, but her father hadn't let her go, seeing as the dead had started walking just a few weeks before her special day. It was probably a wise decision, but she'd never known what it would be like to go to a formal dance, and the dress she'd been so excited about had almost certainly burned down with the house.

Beth scoped out the closet, finding a few things that looked Rick's size. There was also a sewing kit tucked on a shelf that she nearly overlooked.

Rick's wounds need to be sewed, Beth realized. She was suddenly flooded with nerves - he couldn't do it on himself, and she had never done something like this before. She knew how to in theory, but… She imagined sliding a needle through Rick's flesh, and shuddered in horror.

_We've all got jobs to do_, Beth thought determinedly, and put the kit in the backpack. Then she headed downstairs, feeling confident that she'd cleared the place of anything useful.

She was reaching out to open the backdoor when she heard a scratching sound and nearly jumped out of her skin. It was coming from outside. In such a small space, the bat was unwieldy, so she shifted it to her left hand and pulled out her knife.

Beth twisted the handle and stepped back, ready to stab - then froze as she saw the intruder.

It was a little girl, maybe six or seven, and definitely very undead. Beth clutched her knife, instinctively backing up as the child walker advanced on her. She'd never had to do _this_ before. She swallowed, taking in the girl's appearance.

It was just a body, reanimated by this horrible virus, she tried to remind herself. It wasn't really a child. But it had been once, and she couldn't forget that.

The walker followed her, and Beth led it in a circle around the couch. She wasn't ready for this, she knew suddenly. Beth bolted for the back door, outpacing the child walker.

Her last vision of it before she closed the door was the girl tripping over the chair in the kitchen. Beth dashed away from the house, back to her family and away from the little girl walker.

Back at the house, Beth took a deep breath before letting herself in. She flicked the lock on the door behind her, then hurried up the stairs. The door to Rick's room was shut, but she could hear Judy making little noises from the crib.

Beth pushed open the door, noticing immediately that Rick was standing by the window -

"Oh!" She cried, whirling around in embarassment.

After a moment, Rick chuckled softly and turned back to her, pushing the window closed again. Her eyes flicked to him and away again. Despite the fact she'd seen him just like this earlier - heavens, she'd eaten breakfast in bed with a nearly-naked Rick Grimes, and gotten through it - Beth thought he seemed far more naked when he wasn't tucked under the covers.

"I'm sorry if I embarassed you," Rick told her honestly. "I couldn't really walk far enough to the bathroom."

"I should've knocked," Beth said awkwardly.

"It's okay," Rick assured her. He started to limp back towards the bed, and Beth gasped as he stumbled. She hurried to his side, slinging an arm around his waist to help support him.

"You shouldn't be up," Beth chided him, but he shook his head.

"If I hadn't made it to the window, I'd be far more embarassed."

Beth giggled a little at that. He smiled ruefully as she helped him back into bed.

"How did it go? Any trouble?"

"Nothing I couldn't handle," Beth said smoothly. "I found this." She proudly drew her new revolver.

"May I?" Rick's eyes lit up a little at the sight.

"Sure." Beth handed it over.

"Smith and Wesson," Rick said approvingly. "It's the right size for you. This takes .22 caliber rounds. Did you count how many rounds you've got in here?"

"Seven, it's fully loaded." At his approving look, Beth smiled, quite glad she'd bothered to count.

"Always remember how many rounds you've got left," Rick said ruefully. "Something I've forgotten to do far too many times."

Beth nodded, soaking up the information.

"How are you feeling? Oh - I found this."

She fished in the backpack until she found the aspirin.

"Thanks," Rick said gratefully. He spilled some pills into his hand and swallowed them with some water. "What else did you find?"

"Well… this."

Rick swallowed as she took out the sewing kit.

"That wound will heal better if I sew it up," Beth said bravely.

"I'm sure you're right. Have you ever done this before?"

"I've seen my father do it," Beth replied, looking a little nervous.

"I don't know that I can do it myself," Rick admitted. "I'm willing to try, if you are."

"I'll be really careful," Beth swore.

"I know you will, but it's going to hurt no matter what," Rick reminded her.

As Beth smiled worriedly, Rick leaned forward and grabbed her hand.

"I trust you," he said simply.

Beth nodded quickly. The room was silent, except for Judith's little gurgles, as Beth began to get everything together.

She unwrapped the wound, and stared carefully at it. The pressure had stopped the bleeding, but the wound was still gaping.

Rick watched as she re-sterilized his wound, which looked bad but at last not infected. It hurt, but he kept his mouth shut, his teeth grinding silently with every swipe of the cloth over his injury.

Beth finished sterilizing the needle in a shallow bowl of whiskey, put black thread through the needle.

"I'm sorry," she said apologetically.

"Don't be," Rick said shortly. "Just do it."

He inhaled deeply through his nose as Beth leaned over him. She poked the needle through his skin, and Rick breathed out shakily.

Beth couldn't believe he wasn't making a sound as she stitched him up. She did five neat stitches which pulled the skin back together. At the end, she tied up the thread, and pulled back.

"There," she said gently. "Let me know when I should do the other side."

Rick nodded tersely.

"Better do it all at once."

"You're doing great," Beth told him warmly. Her left hand dropped to his other leg, squeezing it gently. Rick managed a smile, then took another shaky breath as she bent to examine the exit wound.

Rick had been lucky that the bullet hadn't gone through the main part of his thigh. It hadn't hit an artery, and it hadn't torn the main muscle. It was on the inside of his left thigh, maybe five inches above his knee, and the entrance and exit wounds were only a few inches apart.

Beth started sewing again, doing another set of neat stitches, until it was all done. When she'd tied it off, she looked up at him in awe - he hadn't cried out once.

"I think you're the toughest man I've ever met," Beth told him, and Rick smiled back at her.

He felt a little lightheaded from the pain, but he was thankful he hadn't screamed, or cursed her, or passed out. Beth took out a new strip of gauze to wrap around his leg.

"What else did you find?" Rick asked suddenly.

"I found a bat that I thought Mika could use," Beth replied as she finished wrapping the wound. "And I found these…"

Rick froze as she showed him the comic books.

"They're for Carl, when we meet up," Beth said tentatively.

"I keep looking out the window, hoping he's going to come by. Even though I know it's ridiculous, he'd be further away from the prison by now. Already in town, or somewhere else…"

"We'll find him," Beth said strongly, cutting into his dark thoughts.

Their eyes caught, and Rick wondered if she knew just how much he truly relied on her. Beth was a beacon of light in the darkness of his life. She was never without hope or faith, and she made him want to be a better person, to believe like her, trust in others, and

Beth's stomach rumbled, breaking the moment. She looked surprised, and Rick let out a rich, deep laugh.

"You've been doing all the work, maybe you should eat something."

Beth looked over at the baby. She was awake, but was peaceably sucking on her fingers. Beth watched Judith, smiling at how calm and good the baby had been, while she took a piece of chocolate to eat.

"A little more." Rick instructed. She was clearly hungry, and this was all she was going to have?

Beth rolled her eyes at his lecturing, but secretly appreciated it.

"Yes, Mr. Grimes," Beth said primly, and broke off a bigger chunk of chocolate to eat. "You know what I'd love? I want to find fully made meals in cans, like lasagna or mac and cheese."

"Or canned pudding," Rick added.

"Canned chocolate cake!" Beth suggested with a laugh.

"Canned coffee…" He said with a groan.

"Were you one of those guys who drank coffee all the time?" Beth asked knowingly.

"Guilty as charged… I had at least three cups every good day."

"Ooh, an addict!"

"Not anymore," Rick said, feeling almost wistful as he recalled his former caffeine addiction. "How about… canned milkshakes?"

"_Strawberry_ milkshake," Beth added blissfully.

"I loved strawberry milkshakes," Rick groaned, his head falling back in agreement.

Beth's eyes were drawn to the lines of his body as he lay beqside her on the bed. She could see nearly all of him like this, and it was very hard not to look. He was lean, but his strength was clear in every part of him.

Rick had an obvious farmer's tan, his arms and neck tanned from hours spent tending the gardens, out under the hot sun. His upper arms and chest looked white in comparison, but Beth found it oddly attractive, knowing he had earned the tan by working hard for their family. Her hands itched to stroke down his chest again as she had done last night…

"Um, I found you some new clothes," Beth blurted out.

"That's… I appreciate it," Rick said, looking away from her quickly.

He'd nearly forgotten that he was wearing next to nothing. He'd been here with Beth, acting like it was normal, when he'd probably embarassed her. But for he chided himself for not dressing earlier, Rick remembered that Beth had been the one to strip off his shirt while he slept.

Beth handed him a white sleeveless shirt, and a dark blue workshirt to button up over it. Rick pulled the white shirt over his head, wincing as he knocked a little too hard into his bruised side.

"It's a little hot for this now," Rick told her as he eyed the work shirt. "But I'll save it for later."

Rick set the overshirt down on the bedside table, and Beth swallowed nervously. Goodness - dressed like that, he looked even less like a man recuperating from his injuries, and more like a man lounging in bed following a round of… well, that was _not_ what she should be thinking about.

"Thank you," Rick added, sounding as sincere as he always did.

"You're very welcome. I'm glad you like it," Beth told him shyly. "Your old shirt was looking a little… Ragged."

"More like utterly destroyed. I see why you threw it out," Rick said with amusement. "I don't look like I belong in the same room as you, with how pretty you're looking in your new clothes."

Beth blushed - Rick thought she looked pretty?

Seeing it, Rick swallowed harshly. Why did she have to look so damn beautiful when she blushed?

* * *

Mika looked up as Beth knocked on the door frame.

"Hi," Mika answered, closing her book and sitting up straight. "Did you fix his leg?"

"I sewed up the wound, but it'll take time for it to properly heal," Beth told her as she came over and sat down next to her.

"Was it scary?" Mika asked, hardly able to imagine doing what Beth had done.

"Yes," Beth said frankly. "But I had to do it. Rick needed me. You'd be surprised by the kind of things you can do when it's necessary."

Mika nodded, but still felt doubtful.

"I found something for you," Beth said, changing the subject. She took out the silver bracelet she'd taken from the house.

"It's beautiful." Mika said in awe as Beth fastened it to her left wrist. "Thank you!"

"And that's not all…" Beth reached into her backpack and pulled out a small white teddy bear in a pair of green faded overalls.

"Ooh," Mika squealed happy. "I'm going to name her… Griselda Gunderson."

Beth laughed, smiling as Mika hugged the teddy bear strongly.

"I want you to have fun," Beth told her gently. "You're ten years old, and you deserve to have time to read books, and play with teddy bears. I wish you could do those things all the time. But we're going to have to leave here in a few days."

"I know," Mika answered, her voice barely audible.

"I'm going to need your help," Beth told her. "And not just with Judith. I'll need you to always keep your eyes open for walkers, and tell me anything you see."

"I can do that," Mika said, smiling shyly.

"Rick and I are going to do our very best to keep you safe," Beth continued. "But you need to be ready to defend yourself. Have you ever done that before?"

"No," Mika admitted. "I always ran. My dad… He protected me."

"I found you a baseball bat. In the morning, I'd like to walk you through some moves."

"Okay."

Beth paused, wondering what else to say. Mika took advantage of the pause to ask her a serious question.

"Do you think Lizzie is alright?"

"I do," Beth told the little girl, though her mind went back to yesterday, when Rick had winced at the mention of Lizzie and Carol. "Your sister is a survivor, like you."

"You really think I am?" Mika asked softly. "Carol was always telling me I had to be stronger."

"You're stronger than they know," Beth reminded her. "And when we get out there, I know you're going to prove it to me."

Mika smiled hopefully.

"I'll try."

"And you'll succeed," Beth assured her. She leaned in to kiss Mika's forehead. "Do you want to keep reading?"

"Yeah," Mika admitted shyly. "I really like it."

"Good," Beth said, smiling back at her as she left the room.

* * *

When Beth got back from checking in on Mika, Rick looked up and realized she had a serious expression on her face. When she closed the door behind her, he became certain that something was up.

"Yesterday, when Mika said she missed Lizzie and Carol, you - oh, you just flinched again," Beth said with surprise. She climbed on the end of the bed and came to sit cross-legged on Rick's left side.

Rick was quiet for a moment, unsure how to tell her.

"Did you see them… die?" Beth asked, her voice wavering with anxiety.

"No," Rick assured her. "I didn't see either of them at the prison…"

"Oh good!" Beth breathed out a sigh of relief.

"But Carol wasn't at the prison," Rick admitted.

"What? Why?" Beth frowned.

"It was Carol who killed Karen and David."

Beth sat straight up, staring at Rick in shock.

"What - _Carol? _That's crazy, she wouldn't do that!"

"She admitted it when I asked," Rick told her. "She was afraid of the sickness spreading."

Beth blinked furiously.

"Carol?" She was trying to process the idea, but it just didn't make any sense. "She's a part of the family. She loves us, especially the kids…"

She trailed off at the look in Rick's eye.

"And she wanted to protect us," Beth whispered in horror. Rick nodded sadly.

"Oh my god. I can't believe she'd do that," Beth repeated. "But - but she did, didn't she?"

Rick watched as Beth clasped her hands together, rocking nervously on the bed.

"If she wasn't at the prison, where was she?"

"I sent her away."

Beth's heart nearly stopped.

"You _what_?"

"I had to make a decision. I didn't think she could stay, not after that. If she'd come back, Tyreese would have killed her."

"_No_," Beth said, shaking her head furiously. "Tyreese is so gentle, he's wonderful with Judith. He would have come around. Carol would have been fine. Where _is_ she?"

"I don't know," Rick admitted. "But she has a car, and weapons, and supplies. She - she left me her watch."

Beth stared as Rick picked up the watch from the bedside table. She recognized it of course, and wondered how she hadn't noticed it before.

"But she's family," she whispered again. "It was a horrible mistake, but we could have forgiven her."

Rick just shook his head.

"How can I ask the others to have done that? Ask Tyreese to do that, or David's wife?"

"You could have let them try," Beth said, meeting his eyes. "Rick, you know I trust you with my life, and I think you're a wonderful leader. But I really wish you hadn't just made that decision on your own. You could have waited to ask my daddy and the rest of the council what to do. I thought that was the new system."

"I didn't think I could wait," Rick said soflty. He was struck by the look of worry in her eyes - he'd never seen Beth disappointed in him before.

"Do you understand why I did it?" He waited and waited for an answer, hoping against hope that she could.

"I understand why I thought you had to," Beth said finally. "I'm just… if Carol had been there… Never mind, I can't focus on hypotheticals. I just hope she's alive. I want to find her."

Rick drew in a harsh breath. Despite what she'd done, Carol was their family.

"She was adopting Lizzie and Mika," Beth told him. "She's so good with them. I want Mika to have a mother."

"You could be her mother," Rick said seriously. "You're already Judith's."

Beth stared at him, amazed at the sentiment.

"She loves you like a baby would love her mother," Rick added. "You're doing an amazing job with her."

Beth smiled at him appreciatively.

"I'm really glad you see me that way. Judith means the world to me."

"I can tell," Rick said softly.

"And Mika, Lizzie and Carol mean the world to each other," Beth continued smoothly. "They're a family, like we are, Rick. They may not have been one for as long, but they have a connection. I've seen it. We can't just keep them apart."

"Beth…"

"Ask me the questions, Rick."

He was startled.

"The three questions," Beth insisted.

Rick swallowed hard, unsure what she was about to reveal. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and hoarse.

"How many walkers have you killed?"

"Over a hundred at least," Beth said calmly. "Maybe closer to two hundred. Though that's counting the ones I've stabbed through the fences."

Rick nodded. He could believe that. He wasn't sure of his own count at this point - maybe four, five hundred at least?

"How many people have you killed?"

"Four," Beth said clearly, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

"Why?"

"The first was to stop the Governor's group from invading our home," Beth told him, looking straight at Rick as tears began to fall down her cheeks. "The second person I killed because he was going to shoot my father. The third was shooting at the camp, and I shot her to protect the people I love. And the fourth… I killed him out of mercy, after I'd shot him twice, in the chest and the stomach, for the same reasons as the third."

Rick swallowed harshly.

"Would you let me in?" Beth asked him simply.

"In a heartbeat," he said hoarsely. "I know you, Beth. You are _good_, there's no doubt in my mind. I would never turn you away."

She came closer to him in order to lay her hand on top of his.

"Carol would give the same answer - she killed to protect her girls, and all of us. In my heart I know that Carol is a good woman. So when we find her, I think we should forgive her and welcome her back. She shouldn't take unilateral actions like that without talking with the group, but she's still part of our family."

Rick stared at her, feeling lost. Beth never spoke up against others if it wasn't important. Beth believed, with all her heart, in Carol. He'd been suddenly unsure about the woman, despite how long he'd known her. Carol's recent actions had been completely repugnant to him, and he'd reacted accordingly. But Beth was one of the greatest judges of character that he knew, much like her father. She made him want to believe as well.

"Thank you," Rick said softly. "You're right. That's what we'll do."

Beth beamed at him, and he was struck by the brightness of her smile. Then she was throwing her arms about him, coming closer as she hugged him.

"I'm so glad you agree," Beth murmured into his chest. He held her close and breathed in deep.

"We'll head out tomorrow, and get to Franklin," Rick said.

Beth stiffened. She pulled back, out of his arms.

"Rick, you need more than _one_ _day_ to recover," Beth told him, her voice astonished. "If you think I'm letting you move until you're fully rested, you've got another thing coming."

"Beth, we need to get out and find them."

She fixed him with a serious look.

"Rick, if we leave tomorrow, you'll be walker food."

"Not with you to protect me," Rick countered.

"You need more time to heal," Beth insisted. "Wait a few more days, please. I can't - Judy can't lose you."

Rick noted the quick change in sentence, far too intrigued by what she'd almost said.

"I'll rest one more day," Rick compromised. "And we'll leave the day after tomorrow."

Beth bit her lip, but she knew it was the best she'd get from him.

"Alright," she agreed. "I should check the last few houses first."

Rick bit back a protest, knowing that he needed to let her do it, despite his desire to go with her and watch her back.

"Just be careful."

When she rose to leave, he called her name, and she turned back.

"I can't lose you either," Rick said simply.

Beth took a shaky breath and nodded. He was serious, and the look he'd given her was so intent, so real, that she wasn't certain how to take it.

* * *

There were two houses left to search. Beth scouted down the street first, checking for any potential dangers.

Beth couldn't get those words out of her head. The way Rick had looked at her, and the way it had sent tingles through her body. She couldn't deny that she'd noticed Rick as more than just Judith's father for a long time.

He'd been the first one to recognize her as an adult, and give her the tools and training to prove herself to the others. She'd watched him suffer through the loss of his wife, then pull himself back together to become the undisputed leader again, despite his insistence on the official leader. She'd always known she could rely on him, and he'd relied on her in turn, trusting her with Judith.

Beth had to admit that she didn't just respect him - she'd started watching him for other reasons in the last few months. He was a handsome and driven man. He was a fierce leader, and he had a good heart. She knew her father loved Rick like a son. For all these reasons and more, her feelings for him had grown, slowly but surely.

However, she had never thought Rick would look at her as anything besides the young woman who babysat his daughter. She had distracted herself with Zach, who had proved to be a good guy, and someone she was glad to have known. But spending time with him hadn't made her think any less of Rick.

Now she wondered if she'd been wrong. Could he ever see her as something more? In the last two days, he'd told her how he admired and trusted her, remarked that she was pretty, admitted that he couldn't bear to lose her… And there were those moments when she felt his eyes on her, watching her as she held Judith or hummed to herself.

Beth glimpsed a walker wandering in the side yard of the next house over, and refocused on the moment. It looked particularly weak, stumbling over to her, and she downed it with an easy stab into its forehead.

She pulled out her knife, now bloody, and walked to the front door. Beth breathed in slowly, putting her mind in the moment, and began to clear the building.

When she'd finished, Beth was somewhat satisfied with her haul. The highlights were a gas lighter and a swiss army knife, a pack of AA batteries, a box of wet wipes, and two flashlights. She hadn't found any more food, but she hadn't really expected to - Maggie and Glenn had cleared out most of the houses in the Franklin area.

On the way back to the house, Beth found another walker, a middle-aged man, which she put down quickly. She said a quick prayer for the man it had once been, then headed back to the house.

* * *

Rick heard the sound of her soft footsteps coming up the stairs and began to breathe easier. In his arms, Judith turned her head towards the door, already smiling in anticipation.

"You missed Beth, didn't you?" Rick said softly to his daughter. She glanced at him with a mischevious little smile - she certainly had.

"Hey." Beth paused in the doorway for a moment before coming in.

"Glad you're back," Rick smiled at her. "Find anything good?"

"It's not much," Beth admitted, showing him what she'd grabbed.

"That's a good knife," Rick pointed out.

"It's for you," Beth said eagerly, pushing it into his hand.

"Thanks," he said softly.

Judith's sudden whimpers broke the silence. Beth reached for her instinctively, and Rick handed her over.

"Does someone need a change?" Beth asked Judith, who just looked up at her with hopeful eyes.

"Thank you," Rick said appreciatively.

"It's no problem." Beth brought Judith to the end of the bed, laying her down on a blanket.

Like most babies, Judith hated getting changed. The only thing that kept her smiling throughout was singing.

"Summer in winter - winter in springtime. You heard the birds sing, everything will be fine," Beth sang softly.

Judith began to smile as Beth worked. Beth smiled back, and continued to sing.

"I spent the summer wasting, the time was passed so easily… But if the summer's wasted, how come that I could feel so free?"

Rick watched them contentedly. He always loved to hear Beth sing. It wasn't just the quality of her voice, which was light and pure. It was the feeling she put into every song she chose, whether it was love, passion, or grief.

He remembered the first time he'd heard her singing, on their first night at the prison. He'd been walking the yard, staying away from Lori, trying to decide what to do about taking the prison. And then he'd heard her sweet voice - _oh all the money that e'er I spent, I spent it in good company… _It was her singing that had drawn him back to the group then. Beth Greene had shown that day just why she was the heart of the group. She kept them together, kept him going every day with her songs and her smiles.

When he'd arrived at the campfire, Rick almost thought about letting everyone rest a day before pushing in. But then he looked around, and he knew that they needed a safer place. They all deserved it, Carol, who was so worn out and grieving though she tried to hide it, Carl and Lori and the baby, who he wanted to keep indoors and protect forever - and Beth Greene, who was clearly too sweet for this world.

Of course, he hadn't known fully understood Beth at the time. She reminded him of the world as it once was, always full of cheer and optimism, seemingly untouched. In the fourteen months he'd known her, Rick had slowly seen more and more of the fierce woman waiting to be discovered. Beth didn't speak up in meetings unless it mattered, and when she did, she drew everyone's attention. She was wise beyond her years, and she was fierce in defending not only her values, but the people she loved, including Judith.

Rick's thoughts returned to the present as Beth lifted Judith up to the bed as she sang. Despite everything that had happened to them - the loss of their home, the unknown fate of their family - in this moment, he was at peace.

"Seven weeks of river walkways," Beth crooned. "Seven weeks of staying up all night…"

Rick looked up and saw Mika standing in the doorway, smiling as she watched Beth.

"I spent the summer wasting, the time was passed so pleasantly." Beth knew it was the end of summer now, and their lives were going to be vastly different than they had been, but she couldn't help but remember their last few months at the prison… Everything had started fitting together, and feeling like home.

"Say cheerio to books now, the only things I'll read are faces… I spent the summer wasting, under a canopy of… Seven weeks of reading papers, seven weeks of river walkways. Seven weeks of feeling guilty, seven weeks of staying up all night!"

Even without music backing her, Rick found Beth's singing positively stunning. He had no doubt that in the old world, she would have found success as a singer.

"Summer in winter, winter is springtime. You heard the bird say - everything will be fine." Beth's voice softened as she finished.

Judith stared up at her, enraptured. Beth beamed down at the baby, gathering her up to kiss her little forehead with fondness. Rick watched them, feeling more relaxed than he had all day.

* * *

Mika helped Beth put together an early dinner, seeing as they'd all skipped lunch. They each had a tin of tuna, and split a can of tomatoes. When they'd finished that, all four of them shared a can of peaches, Judith getting hers carefully mashed up with a fork.

"We're going to spend one more day here, then we're leaving the day after," Rick told Mika of the decision. Beth was right, taking another day to heal and rest was wise.

Mika just nodded in acceptance.

"I'm going to walk her through some fighting moves in the morning," Beth told Rick softly.

"That sounds good," he affirmed.

"Do you want to get ready for bed?" Beth asked, turning back to Mika. "You'll have some time to read before it gets dark."

"Okay," Mika agreed. She handed Judith over to Beth, then waved goodbye before running off to the bathroom to brush her teeth.

"Okay." Mika handed Judith over to Beth, then went to the bathroom to brush her teeth.

"She's so easy," Beth commented, smiling after Mika.

"She's also a good storyteller," Rick added. "She was reading to me while you were out."

"I loved _Betsy-Tacy_ when I was a girl," Beth informed him.

"It's sweet," Rick shrugged, but he was smiling gently. "Maybe not what I'd pick up on my own…"

They both laughed.

"Do you want any more aspirin before bed?" Beth asked.

"Yes, please."

She found the bottle and measured out four pills, the recommended dose. Rick groaned.

"You're not supposed to…" She saw his sad eyes fixed on her, and just about melted inside. "Oh - okay. You can have six. But that's final."

Rick chuckled, taking the pills from her hands. Beth scrambled to her feet.

"Where are you going?" Rick asked with a frown.

"I thought I'd get Judy out of your hair so you could sleep," Beth said softly.

"Stay here." The words slipped out before he'd thought them through.

Even in the dimming light, he could see her eyes widen. Rick cleared his throat and tried again.

"I'd like to know she's near me. And it's safer to stay together. I'd rather Judy have the two of us right here to protect her."

Beth nodded jerkily and closed the door. She carefully pushed the desk chair under the handle, then came hesitantly over to the bed.

"Scoot over," Beth said after she regained her ability to talk in a normal voice. "I should be on the right, so I can't kick your leg. When we shared a bed, Maggie always told me how I woke her up by kicking. I hope I've grown out of it, but you never know."

"Well then, I suppose I'm putting my life in your hands," Rick said solemnly, finally earning him a shy little smile.

His heart began to pick up speed as Beth sat down on the edge of the bed. Why had he asked her to stay? Why couldn't he have kept his damn mouth shut?

Beth took a moment to pull off her boots. After a moment, she also took out her earrings and set them on the table, then took a few sips from her second water bottle of the day. Finally, she lay back, acutely aware that she was sharing a bed with Rick Grimes. They weren't touching, but she could hear his breathing.

"I really love her," Beth said into the silence. "Judy, I mean."

"I can tell. You two always look - thick as thieves." Rick said gruffly, just barely changing his sentence at the end. _Always look so beautiful together,_ he'd nearly said.

"I miss everyone, especially Daddy and Maggie," Beth continued, feeling a little shy. "But Rick, I'm really thankful that I got out with you and Judy."

"With an invalid?" Rick chuckled. "Beth, I'm the lucky one. I don't know how I'd have taken care of Judy with my leg like this. We'd both be going hungry tonight, and I sure wouldn't have bandaged myself up as well as you did."

Beth beamed at the praise.

"Judith… she's really something to live for, isn't she?"

"She is," came his soft agreement.

"I'm glad I didn't lose her," Beth whispered. "Or you. I - I thought you might die, last night. And this morning, you were groaning like a walker, and I was so sure you were _gone_."

The horror and fear in her voice was obvious. Despite the fact he knew it was a bad idea, he extended his right arm, finding her hand and taking it in his.

"Can't get rid of me that easily," Rick assured her.

Beth gripped his hand tightly.

"Do you still miss Lori?"

Rick froze, unsure where it was coming from.

"Things with Lori were difficult," Rick told her after a moment's pause. "Our relationship had fallen apart before she died - before the turn, even. We tried to make it work, but we just didn't fit together like we used to. We argued all the time. I still loved her - I don't think you can ever stop loving the mother of your child, but it wasn't the same as it had been when we were first married. I hated that we'd lost her, that Carl didn't have his mother, and neither did Judith. And I blamed myself for abandoning her, for not managing to protect her, for my children losing their mother. That was the hardest part of it all. That feeling was the final straw for me - I'd felt so trapped, and so responsible for everything that was going wrong, that part of me wanted to hide from the world. "

Beth listened carefully, trying to understand the mystery that was Rick Grimes.

"It takes time to stop missing someone," Rick continued, turning his head to look at her. "But one day, you stop thinking about the terrible way you lose people, and you'll be able to think just about the good times, all the memories you're going to treasure for years."

Beth blinked desperately, trying not to cry. She wasn't sure that she would ever see her family again, and it hurt every time she thought about them.

"You still wear the ring."

"I do it to remind me," Rick answered honestly. "Of my failure. And that I can't do it again."

"You didn't fail Lori," Beth said, sounding almost angry. "Her death wasn't your fault, Rick! You save us all the time, but nobody is responsible for saving _everyone_."

She began to shake, and Rick realized that she was trying to keep from breaking down.

"There's nothing wrong with crying," he told her softly.

Beth turned her head away in embarassment.

"I don't cry anymore," she said intently. She hadn't, not in months, not when Zach died, or when everyone got sick… She couldn't let it happen now, not when Rick and Judith needed her to be strong.

Carefully, Rick turned to his side, his injured leg resting atop the other.

"I do," he told her quietly.

Beth looked at him, really looked at him. His face was lit up by the moonlight coming through the window, and she could see the tears in her eyes.

"It doesn't make you weak," Rick promised her. He reached over and touched her waist lightly.

It was all she needed - she curled forward, burying her face in his shirt as her arm wrapped tightly about his chest. Rick let out a sharp breath as Beth began to cry into his shirt. His right arm was under her neck, and he crooked it so he could stroke her hair while he wrapped his other arm about her waist.

Beth sobbed her heart out as Rick held her tight in his arms. She couldn't stop thinking about the loss of their home, about Maggie and her father, who she might never see again, about the four people she'd killed, and the way the man she'd shot had looked at her and begged for death…Rick was whispering comforting nothings to her, but she barely heard it, so caught up was she in her grief, in burrowing into this man who offered her understanding and support.

As Beth cried herself to sleep in his arms, Rick closed his eyes and quietly let himself do the same.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you to everyone who's read and reviewed! I really appreciate your support, and hope you continue to read this story.

Disclaimer: I don't own The Walking Dead, but I can assure you that if I did, things would have turned out a lot differently this season!

Songs included in this chapter: Landslide by Fleetwood Mac, Put Your Records On by Corinne Bailey Rae.

* * *

_Day 3_

Rick woke in the middle of the night to the sound of his daughter crying. He blinked wearily, looking up at the ceiling.

There was a little moan against his chest, and he looked down in surprise. There was a mass of soft blonde hair against his chest, tickling his chin, and a slender arm tucked around his waist.

_Beth_, he realized… Rick didn't want to move and disturb her - and more than that, he didn't want to lose this feeling, of having Beth tucked in his arms, soft and warm and utterly trusting.

It was wrong to enjoy this so much, Rick tried to remind himself, and gently pushed Beth away. The blonde sighed in her sleep, and Rick just avoided her arm as it unconsciously sought him out again. He climbed out of bed and limped over to the crib.

"Hey, sweetheart," Rick greeted his daughter. Judith looked up at him and whined.

He leaned down and picked her up, cradling her close as he looked out the window. It was quiet outside, the road barely lit by the moonlight. In the distance, he could see a walker wandering down the highway, in the direction of the prison.

Judith began to hush as he rocked her in his arms. Soon she was closing her eyes again, and Rick carefully made his way back to the end of the bed and crawled back up to the pillows.

He settled under the covers, curling Judith into his other side, between him and the wall. Rick smiled at his daughter as he stroked her hair. The babe's eyes finally started to droop, and Rick rejoined her in slumber.

* * *

Beth felt so warm and comfortable that she never wanted to move. She lingered for a moment with her eyes closed, not wanting time to continue, wishing to be frozen just now, just so, when everything felt so perfect.

The arm around her tightened a little, and her breath hitched. Where - _who_… Beth blinked her eyes open, looking, and suddenly, _feeling_. While she'd slept, she'd cuddled up to Rick. And he was holding her to him, breathing steadily as he slept.

She stretched her neck to look at him, and felt another rush of warmth go through her. Rick was smiling softly in his sleep. It was a good look on him, and she was struck by the desire to press a kiss to his chapped lips while he slept.

Instead, Beth moved slowly to sit up, letting his arm drop back to the bed. She smiled as she saw Judy lying on Rick's other side, nestled with his arm wrapped in a circle around her. Judy was watching her with wide eyes, her left hand in her mouth.

"Good morning, Judy," Beth whispered, beaming at the baby. "You're such a good girl, not crying."

Beth reached over to pick her up, lifting her over Rick's sleeping body and sliding the two of them over to the edge of the bed.

"Are you hungry?" Beth asked her softly.

Judith whimpered, and Beth nuzzled their noses together. Beth quickly made up a bottle for the baby, then settled on the bed, Judith in her lap. The baby drank the formula eagerly, and Beth turned to watch Rick sleep. He looked so peaceful, she didn't want to wake him.

Eventually Judith finished the bottle, and began to fuss. She needed a change, so Beth got her ready for it. She would need a song, and she just hoped that she wouldn't wake Rick - or if she did, she hoped he wouldn't mind.

"I took my love and I took it down," Beth sang softly. "I climbed a mountain and I turned around. And I saw my reflection in the snow-covered hills, til the landslide brought me down."

Judith gurgled contentedly as Beth smiled down at her. Beth finished changing Judith and pulled her back up into her arms, rocking her gently.

"Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love? Can the child within my heart rise above? Can I sail through the changing ocean tides? Can I handle the seasons of my life?"

Beth thought of the girl she'd once been, dreaming of a life of fortune and fame, as a country singer. She'd thought that she could be a star, getting out of Georgia for the first time, getting to travel and meet all sorts of amazing people, and making enough money to provide for her family for the rest of all their lives. Then the madness had started, and she'd lost all the dreams she'd had. Beth had been forced to think only of day to day survival. It had nearly killed the girl she'd been. At seventeen, Beth had nearly given up, lost in her grief for her mother and brother, unsure of her place in a new world where the dead walked and there weren't any dreams left.

"Well, I've been afraid of changing. 'Cause I've built my life around you." Beth's voice rose as the song grew more dramatic, no longer soft and sweet. "But time makes you bolder. Even children get older. And I'm getting older too…"

It had taken her some time to understand what she could possibly have in what seemed to be the end of the world. But then they'd found the prison, made a home, and Judy had arrived. Seeing the baby girl had been a shocking reminder that life could still continue. Beth spent as much time as she could with the baby, insisting on taking over for anyone else. Carol had been relieved, not yet ready to take care of another child after the loss of her own.

Beth had spent many quiet hours alone with Judith, contemplating the little girl who had so quickly seized her heart, as well as the world around them. Judy had reminded her of other dreams - of living a long life, surrounded by family, loving and being loved, raising children, and protecting her family. She'd grown stronger because of her love for the group, all of them becoming part of her family.

"I take my love, take it down." Beth smiled as Judith's eyes began to close again. She had woken because she was hungry, but she was evidently still sleepy. The sun had barely risen, so Beth hoped that she would indeed sleep a little more.

"I climb a mountain and turn around… And if you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills, will the landslide bring you down, oh, oh, the landslide bring you down…"

Beth tucked Judith carefully into the crib, holding her breath and hoping it would take. Judith shifted a little, but she didn't wake again, and Beth got to pull back.

She looked back at the bed, and jumped a little as she saw that Rick was awake, and looking at her.

"Sorry I woke you," Beth blurted, embarassed.

"Don't be. It was beautiful," Rick said simply. He didn't tell her that he'd been awake even before she'd even started singing. Both girls had been asleep when he'd woken, and he'd loathed the idea of moving. Instead he'd laid awake with his eyes closed, cherishing the feeling of normalcy they gave him, the contentment he felt having his girls tucked on either side of him.

"I was thinking of going for a run," Beth said, looking away and out the window. "There's one more house that I should search before we move on tomorrow."

"Not without breakfast you don't," Rick told her firmly. He scooted over to the edge of the bed and swung his legs over, resting his feet on the floor. Beth watched nervously as Rick stood up carefully, shifting his weight to test his injured leg.

"It's feeling better," Rick told her, but he nevertheless grabbed a bottle of water to down a small handful of aspirin.

"Good," Beth said warmly. "What should I make for breakfast?"

"I'll make it," Rick decided. "You may not be letting me out of the house, but I can at least help with that."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" Beth asked, mock pouting.

"You can make sure the bags are packed for tomorrow," Rick told her. "Read a book, relax. You've been doing all the hard work. Let me contribute."

"Alright," Beth agreed. "But you have to promise to call out if you need anything."

"Will do, Sheriff Greene," Rick chuckled. He grabbed a few bottles of water and some food supplies, then headed downstairs.

It did hurt to walk on his injured leg, but it was manageable. Beth watched him carefully, but he didn't seem to be displaying any symptoms of serious pain. He was tough, she reminded herself firmly, and he wouldn't want her to baby him.

Beth got to work sorting through the bags. The large backpack would be for her, of course, so that was where she tucked most of the extras, like the tampons and the sewing kit, covered by a spare shirt for herself, and two pairs of spare underwear and socks. She added most of the remaining cans of food, gauze, a few bottles of water, as well as the flashlight and the stack of batteries.

The second backpack was smaller, and she intended it for Rick. She added the aspirin and comic books, the swiss army knife, whiskey, and most of the rest of the water.

The diaper bag was the lightest, currently holding the formula, bottle, and a dwindling amount of diapers. Beth tucked away the extra baby clothes she'd found, three bottles of water, the crackers and remaining tin of tuna, chocolate, and the wet wipes.

Soon she'd finished packing everything of value, and she looked in on Judith again. The baby was still sleeping, and Beth decided after a moment to pick her up and bring her to join her on the bed. She'd rather have her as close as possible.

Judith didn't wake, and Beth curled up next to the baby under the covers, and soon she found her eyes drifting shut.

Rick stood in the doorway for a minute, admiring the sight of Beth curled protectively around Judith. They looked like sleeping angels, Rick thought in amazement. He could almost imagine that the world hadn't ended… Here was a normal, perfect family sleeping in on a Sunday morning, completely relaxed and carefree.

Rick set down the tray of hot bowls on the dresser, and made his way to Mika's room.

When he turned the handle and pushed, he was stopped as the door bumped into a heavy bureau. He was surprised and impressed by that - the ten year old had protected her room well.

He hadn't known Mika very well back at the prison - he'd registered her as one of the kids that liked to hang around with Beth and Judith, but that was about all. Mika had always seemed quieter than her older sister, so he hadn't paid her much thought. The same, he realized suddenly, could be said for Beth and her older sister.

Maggie Greene was the one that got everyone's attention right off, announcing her presence with her ferociousness and the elegant ease she had with dispatching walkers. She was a fighter, cool-headed and practical, and an obvious survivor. Within days of knowing her, Rick knew she would be useful to the group.

When he'd first seen Beth, back at her father's farm, she'd been hiding in the background, lingering behind others, peering out to see what was happening, but rarely seeing anything. She'd seemed a quiet teenager, devoted to her family, and helpful to a fault, but not a fighter, like her sister. While Maggie had gone out on a run with Glenn, Rick had been by Carl's side, giving his blood to save Carl's life. Herschel had worked tirelessly to keep his son alive, and Beth had been his faithful assistant, running to fetch water or medicine when needed. He'd realized then, in the back of his mind, that she was stronger than she'd looked, to serve as nurse to a badly wounded child.

With everything going pear-shaped over the following week, he'd had little time to notice Beth again until after they'd opened the barn. It had been horrible to see Beth sobbing over the bodies of her mother and brother - he had helped shoot them down right in front of her. Rick had felt so guilty then, seeing how his actions had hurt the Greene family. It may not have been smart to keep the walkers alive in the barn, but Herschel truly hadn't known better.

When Rick had heard from Lori about Beth's attempted suicide, he'd been alarmed - if they hadn't killed her mother in front of her, maybe she wouldn't have tried to kill herself. Andrea had relieved his guilt when she informed him that Beth's cuts were too shallow - she had actually wanted to live. And since that day, Beth had swiftly grown out of the miserable shell she'd been then.

She'd grown into a strong young woman, with plenty of strengths that not everybody understood or valued. She knew how to talk to people, how to keep everyone's spirits, and how to bring people together. She was good with babies, children, women and men alike. Rick had even seen her make Daryl laugh - something that was hard to do, especially seeing as Daryl was extraordinarily awkward around women.

While Maggie earned her keep by going on runs, killing walkers through the fence, and going on guard duty, Beth earned hers in other ways. She cared for Judith, while also working with her father to manage who had which tasks. Beth made the supply request lists for the runners to look for, since she knew their home and what they needed better than anyone else. She did inventory, helped Carol in the laundry, and Rick had even spotted her helping Glenn on kitchen duty, the two of them laughing wildly over something that had them shutting their mouths and feigning nonchalance when he'd walked in. Everything she did made that prison into a home.

Rick knocked on the door, calling for Mika.

"Who is it?" The sleepy girl asked. Rick could hear her climbing out of bed and coming towards the door.

"It's Rick," he answered her. "I made some breakfast, if you want it. How'd you like some hot oatmeal?"

"Did you say _hot_?" Mika asked eagerly. She pushed the bureau away from the door and swung it wide open.

Rick nodded, smiling at her.

"Why don't you wash up and then come eat," Rick suggested. Mika skipped over to the restroom, clearly excited for his breakfast.

He headed back to wake Beth. He hated to disturb them, but he suspected Beth would prefer her breakfast hot instead of cold. Rick sat down on the bed near her.

"Good morning," he tried, but she didn't stir. "Beth?"

He leaned forward and touched her hair gently.

"Beth, it's time to wake up."

Beth groaned, turning as she woke, rubbing her cheek against a warm, calloused palm.

"Mmm," she said groggily, not really wanting to move.

"I brought you breakfast," Rick said softly.

Beth slowly opened her eyes, almost regretting it when Rick drew his hand back.

"You should eat before it gets cold," Rick said, offering her a bowl and spoon.

Beth stared in disbelief.

"Oh my god, you made _oatmeal!_" She sat up quickly, taking the bowl eagerly from his hands.

"It's pretty simple," Rick said modestly. "There's some gas in the stove still, so I cooked up the oats. I put in some honey and peaches."

"This looks delicious," Beth said hungrily.

"Well, dig in."

She grabbed the spoon and began to eat, groaning at the sweet taste. Rick watched her contentedly, happy that he'd been able to make her morning better.

"This is perfect," Beth mumbled between bites.

"I'm glad you like it," Rick told her, and sat back to start on his own bowl.

Mika came skipping into the room. Beth realized that though the girl looked sleepy, she also looked better. Like Beth had done, Mika had redressed herself from clothes she'd found in the house - a pretty emerald green cotton dress and black leggings, as well as some cowgirl boots. Her hair was brushed, and fell over her shoulders, and her face looked freshly scrubbed.

"Good morning!" Mika said cheerily. She came over to wrap an arm around Beth, surprising the older girl.

"Good morning to you too," Beth replied warmly, hugging Mika back. "Breakfast in bed is my new favorite thing."

"I'll keep that in mind," Rick chuckled as he handed Mika her bowl. Beth scooted back on the bed so Mika could join them.

The three of them continued their feast in a contented silence. Beth finished first, scraping her bowl clean.

"Was that all the oatmeal?"

"And the honey," Rick nodded. "I thought we deserved a good meal."

"Oh, I loved it," Beth assured him. "I was just wondering, for my mental inventory."

"So how much have we got left?" Rick tested her.

"We've got two cans of peaches left," Beth recited. "Three cans of peas, three tomatoes, three beans, and one tin of tuna. There's a little chocolate left, most of two boxes of saltine crackers, and I think maybe… fifteen bottles of water remaining."

Rick and Mika exchanged surprised and impressed glances.

"You're really good at that," Mika told her.

"I like to keep count of things. It was real important to know what we had at the prison, so we could restock before things were completely gone."

As Mika scraped her bowl clean, Rick reached out to take it.

"I've got the dishes," Rick told them. "And by got, I mean I'll stick 'em in the sink and not wash 'em. We're moving on tomorrow."

The girls laughed, and Beth slowly got out of bed. She stood on her tip toes, stretching her arms up above her as she yawned.

"I better get going on that run."

"You awake enough?" Rick checked.

"I'll do a few jumping jacks first, Mr. Grimes," Beth teased.

Rick shook his head at her fondly, and headed downstairs with the dishes. He set them in the sink, then took a minute to go through the drawers, wondering if there was anything of use. None of the knives were very sharp, so he ended up leaving them.

He turned when he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Beth stopped in the doorway, smiling at him.

"Anything I should look for?"

"Ammo," Rick said immediately. "More food and water, but you know that. Oh, maybe some better melee weapons. I've just got this knife, and I'd like something a little sturdier."

"Gotcha," Beth nodded.

"Be careful," he said suddenly, earning him a surprised nod.

"I will," Beth promised. "See you soon."

He watched her slip out the front door, closing it behind her. Then he made his way upstairs, first checking on Judy. His baby girl was still asleep, and Mika was curled up on the bed nearby, reading her book. He decided not to disturb them, and instead made his way to the bathroom.

Rick stood in front of the mirror for a minute, looking at himself.

_We__'__re not too far gone. We get to come back._ He remembered his words to the Governor, his plea for understanding. He wished that the fight had never happened, that they still had the prison. But in that moment, he'd realized - he had changed. He was a better man than he thought he was. Beth was certain of it - he could see it every time he looked into her eyes. She looked at him with such trust, such respect. It made him feel like the leader he'd once been.

"We can change," Rick whispered to himself. _I can change. _

He looked down at his left hand, and carefully took off the gold wedding band. He set it on the edge of the sink, then drained it of the dirty water. He refilled it with clean tap water, then collected a few things from around the bathroom - soap, a washcloth, scissors, and a razor.

Rick removed the bandaids on his nose and forehead, looking carefully at the wounds. They certainly looked better than they had the day before - and best of all, his eye was no longer swollen, so his sight was completely clear. With the cloth, soap, and cold water, he began to wash his face and hands. When he'd finished that, he closed the door, stripped down, and washed everywhere else. He redressed slowly, wincing as the jeans rubbed against the wound on his thigh.

Rick picked up the scissors and began to cut away his beard, trimming it close to his face. Slowly he began to look less rugged. When it was sufficiently trimmed, he lathered his face with soap and rinsed the razor in the water. Rick drew the blades carefully down his cheek. It went smoothly, removing every hair in its path, exposing a trail of pale skin. He paused, stunned by the sight. He hadn't been cleanshaven since before… since before he was shot for the first time.

He continued shaving slowly, marveling as each new inch was exposed. Without the brown-grey beard covering his features, he looked far younger. He'd been surprised when he'd first noticed grey hairs, when he wasn't even forty yet, but he'd gotten used to it. It had seemed symbolic of everything he'd been through, which had aged him more than the old world would have. With each stroke of the razor, it felt like he was removing those months from his person.

When he was halfway through, Rick leaned in to study the cleanshaven part of his face. He now looked startlingly like the man he'd been before the dead had started walking. He couldn't be that man again, not exactly. But he had to put his demons behind him to focus on the future. He would find Carl, Daryl, Carol, Herschel and the rest. And he'd find a new home for them all. Somewhere where he and Beth could raise Judith safely. Somewhere where a girl like Mika could play, and live without fear.

There was a knock on the door, and Rick set down the razor before opening the door.

Mika was there, shifting from foot to foot.

"Can I use the bathroom?" She asked shyly.

"Sure," Rick told her, stepping out to make room.

Mika looked up at him and did a double take.

"Your face," she said in astonishment.

"What about it?" Rick grinned back at her.

"You're half-shaved," Mika giggled. "You're like, an old man on one side, and a _really_ old man on the other."

Rick laughed at that. She had guts - plenty of the Woodbury folk had been too scared to even talk to him, even after six months of living together, but Mika wasn't afraid to tease him.

"You don't think this could be the new apocalypse fashion?"

Mika just shook her head and grinned.

"Ouch," Rick sighed, but his smile gave him away.

"Without your beard, you don't look so old… How old are you, anyway?"

"I'm thirty six."

"Really?" Mika asked skeptically. "My aunt Eliza always said she was thirty-nine, even though I know my dad was her little brother, and he turned forty eight this year. Are you…"

The sound of a gunshot pierced the air. Rick froze, stunned. A second gunshot followed, then a third, and a fourth.

"Grab a weapon, stay with Judith, stay quiet," Rick ordered Mika, his voice crisp and direct.

The ten year old nodded mutely, then hurried to join Judith.

Rick raced to grab his gun, and get down the stairs. He threw open the front door, racing down the steps and nearly tripping in his haste to find Beth. She had to be okay, she _had_ to be. He hurried down the street, looking around desperately.

There was another round of gunshots, and Rick ran towards it, bellowing as he went.

"Beth!"

There was a horrible pause, and his heart nearly stopped.

"Rick!" It was her voice, scared but _alive._

He ran towards her voice, hurrying around the furthest house on the small block, into the backyard. Beth was kneeling by a pile of corpses, her gun out in one hand.

"Are you alright?" Rick asked, utterly panicked.

"I'm not bit," Beth assured him, though her eyes were wide and terrified. "I - I was stupid. I made noise getting into the locked shed, and when I came out there were five, right near me. I shouldn't have shot…"

"You're alive, that's all that matters," Rick assured her. He reached her side, and pulled her up and to her feet.

"Oh no," Beth gasped.

Rick turned, and saw at least a dozen walkers emerging from the nearby woods.

"Shit," he said succinctly. "Let's go."

They left the area together, Beth trying to hand something over.

"What's…" Rick cut off as he saw the axe she was trying to offer him, and took it immediately. It wasn't too heavy, but the edge looked sharp and lethal.

Beth had another new weapon in her hand, a machete with a red handle.

"Nice," Rick said appreciatively, and together, they hurried back to the house.

Rick noted grimly that several walkers were coming towards them, heading from the highway to the house, and more were emerging from the woods. The gunshots had drawn far more than he'd thought they would.

"You get the girls and the supplies, I'll watch the door," Rick directed her. "We've gotta go, don't know how many heard those shots."

Beth nodded and raced inside and upstairs. She opened the door, and was startled to see Mika pointing her pistol at her, while Judy was in her other arm.

"It's okay!" Beth assured her. Mika nodded, stunned, setting the pistol down.

"It's out of rounds anyways," Beth added, and took the pistol from the suddenly embarassed younger girl. "I got surrounded and had to shoot, but now there's lots more walkers coming. We've gotta leave now."

Mika quickly helped Beth with the sling - it was much easier now that Mika knew how to do it. Judith was crying, and Beth tried to hush her, without much luck. With the baby now secured to her chest, Beth grabbed both backpacks, fitting the big one over her shoulders.

She looked over at Mika and found that the younger girl was stuffing her unfinished book and her teddy bear into the diaper bag.

"Grab your bat," Beth instructed, and headed down the stairs.

Mika picked up the weapon, wishing suddenly that they'd had time for the training lesson Beth had promised her before they moved on.

Beth burst through the front door and down the steps and saw Rick fighting off several walkers with the axe.

One was too close, lunging at him from his right side… Beth grabbed her revolver and used her last bullet to take it out.

Rick looked over at her, nodding gratefully. He accepted the backpack Beth offered, slinging it over his shoulders, and led the way through the side yard to the highway. Beth and Mika were right behind him, both of them jogging lightly to keep up. Even with an injured leg, Rick was powering through.

A walker approached them from the left, and Rick turned to face it, easily stabbing it through the head. The axe went in clean, and pulled out easily. At least Beth had found some good weapons before they'd had to leave.

"Rick, are you okay?" Beth panted as she tried to keep up.

"I'll be okay when I've got you all someplace safe again," Rick said tightly, looking back at them.

Mika's face was pinched and scared, and she was gripping her new baseball bat in both hands. They'd had two nights in this house, and she'd started to relax again, despite what happened at the prison. It had felt a lot like her old house, Beth and Rick like family, and she'd been able to just nap and read… But it couldn't last, Mika realized now, her mouth in a grim line. This was the real world, running for their lives - anything else was just a break from the routine.

Beth was nodding at Rick's words, her face tight and drawn. She was rubbing Judith's back, trying to stop her from crying.

"Judy okay?" Rick asked anxiously.

Beth sighed as she pulled back her hand to reload her revolver, which was tricky to do as they were still moving.

"She's scared," Beth said softly.

Rick looked sadly at the crying baby on Beth's front. He hated that they had to live in fear - but it was still better than the alternative, not living.

"Franklin's close," Rick declared. "Maybe a thirty minute walk."

"We'll get there," Beth stated quietly. She holstered her loaded revolver, and continued after him. "Mika?"

"'m fine," the younger girl assured her, though she was out of breath. She couldn't quite keep up, at least not as fast as the others. But she knew they had to get out, and she didn't want to slow them down, so she kept moving.

Beth nodded and continued on, looking around in a circle, and wishing they had a pacifier for Judith. It looked safe for the moment, and she let her mind slip back to what had happened only minutes earlier.

She'd seen the shed from a window on the second floor of the house she'd searched. When she'd gone to look, it was locked. There was a pile of wood and an axe nearby, and she used the axe to smash off the lock on the door.

It had been so _stupid_. She'd been feeling so relaxed that she'd made a rookie mistake. The lock had broken, and she got the door open. Inside the shed, she had quickly discovered the machete. It looked like a great weapon, and she'd felt so pleased with herself that she hadn't thought about the consequences of having made such a loud noise breaking into the shed.

As she searched, Beth heard the moans, and turned to face the walker… Only it wasn't just one. Bethhad been trapped in the shed as several walkers came through the only door, and there was no way out except through them.

Three came in, right after each other, and Beth had pulled her gun, knowing she couldn't take them all out without it. She took them all down, the last when it was just a few feet away from her. She'd hurried outside, and found a couple of walkers right there waiting for her. She'd taken out two more with the machete, trying to save ammo, and thankfully that was when Rick had shown up.

Rick wasn't going to have another day to rest because of what she did, Beth chastised herself. They could have had another night there, safe and sound, before she'd started shooting, likely bringing hundreds of walkers towards them. She knew there were masses of walkers in the area, since they'd overwhelmed the prison, but she'd done it anyway, to save her own life. But what was her life compared to the lives of Judith, Rick and Mika? She'd been so selfish, Beth thought miserably.

"Don't beat yourself up." Rick's words cut through her thoughts. "It happens to all of us. There were too many to kill with just a knife."

Beth bit her lip, wanting to just feel better, but she was overcome by guilt.

"I should've been quieter," she said regretfully.

"Hey. You're alive, that's all that matters," Rick reminded her firmly. He reached out with his left hand, grabbing her hand and squeezing it.

Beth looked at him and started. With everything happening, she hadn't even noticed…

"Rick," she said breathlessly. "You shaved." The right side of his face was cleanshaven, and with his wounds nearly healed on that side, that part of him looked a decade younger.

"Partly." Rick said ruefully.

Beth began to giggle.

"It's a look. Like one of those pictures, half one thing, half another. Now you're half clean-shaven sheriff and half wild woodsman."

"Glad you find my predicament amusing," Rick teased, but he joined her in laughter.

Mika looked between them, finally beginning to smile as well.

Beth felt her spirits lighten. Rick didn't blame her, and they were all alive, and moving - they even had their supplies, thanks to Rick's foresight.

Rick tried to stay on the lookout for danger, but his eyes kept drifting back to the girls. He'd been so certain that he'd lost Beth, and it had been a terrifying, gut wrenching feeling. He hated the thought of a world without Beth Greene in it.

Whatever they would find wherever they ended up, Rick was suddenly confident that they would overcome any obstacles in their path. Together, they could do this. He just had to hold onto his faith.

* * *

Franklin had been emptied of most useful supplies a long time ago, given it was the closest town to the prison. Rick had led them to the center of town, where the main street intersected with the highway.

There was a small two story building right there, with an old floral shop on the first floor, and a cozy little apartment above it. Rick had gone through the place before. He led them in, and was relieved to find it was clear.

"We'll stay here tonight," Rick declared. It was only the afternoon, but good shelter wasn't always easy to find. What's more, his leg was aching something fierce, and he wasn't sure he could make it much farther without collapsing.

He sat down on the couch and scanned the outside through the window. There didn't seem to be many walkers in the area, he'd only had to take out a few as they came in.

Beth hurried to lock and barricade the door, then set down the bags. She set Judith down on the floor, and took off the sling.

"Mika, can you look around and see if there's anything useful, please?" Beth told the girl.

"Sure," Mika answered, and headed to the kitchen to check for food supplies.

Beth looked down at Judith and gently wiped away her tears.

"It's okay now, sweetie," Beth told the baby. "We're going to be okay."

Judith whimpered up at her, not assured, so Beth began to sing.

"Three little birds, sat on my window. And they told me I don't need to worry."

The baby began to quiet, listening to Beth.

"Summer came like cinnamon, so sweet… Little girls, double dutch on the concrete." Beth smiled down at her, tickling her tummy gently. "Maybe sometimes we've got it wrong, but it's alright."

Mika slowed in her search of the flat, staring over at Beth in amazement. She knew this song - her mother used to sing it to her. She missed her dad, and Lizzie, but she missed her mom most of all.

"The more things seem to change, the more they stay the same," Beth sang lightly. "Oh, don't you hesitate. Girl, put your records on, tell me your favorite song!"

Judith gurgled contentedly, gazing up at Beth.

"You go ahead, let your hair down," Beth sang, just as she pulled her hair out of its ponytail and shook it loose, grinning at Judy. "Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams, just go ahead, let your hair down. You're gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow."

As she paused, Rick took a shaky breath. When Beth sang, it was impossible to do anything but listen.

"Blue as the sky, sunburnt and lonely," Beth continued. "Sipping tea in a bar by the roadside. Just relax, just relax. Don't you let those other boys fool you, got to love that afro hairdo."

Mika finished going through the kitchen, but didn't want to leave the room just yet. Hoping Beth wouldn't mind, she came over to sit next to her. Beth just turned to her as she kept singing, that bright smile never leaving her face.

"Maybe sometimes… We feel afraid, but it's alright. The more you stay the same, the more they seem to change. Don't you think it's strange?" Beth launched back into the chorus, and Rick quietly took out his revolver to reload it as he listened.

There was always meaning in the songs she chose, something that got to him, pulling at his heart in some way. _We feel afraid, but it__'__s alright_.

Beth turned to look at Rick, meeting his gaze as she started the next verse.

"'Twas more than I could take, pity for pity's sake - some nights kept me awake," Beth admitted in the song. "I thought that I was stronger. When you gonna realize, that you don't even have to try any longer? Do what you want to… Girl, put your records on!"

Rick forgot about the pain in his leg and all his worry about finding Carl as he listened to Beth sing. Mika began to join in with the chorus, singing along with Beth in a light, even voice that was on pitch.

"Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams. Just go ahead, let your hair down…"

There was a moment's pause, and Beth sang the final line, looking from little Judith to Mika, and finally to Rick.

"Oh, you're gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow."

They all paused, breathing in the peace they all suddenly felt. Then Judith laughed, clapping her hands together, and Mika giggled at the sight.

"Do you know any songs, Mika?" Beth asked the girl.

"A few, I guess," Mika said dubiously. "Most are boring, you know, like twinkle twinkle little star, or row your boat."

"I think Judy would like songs like that," Beth said warmly. "Why don't you give it a try?"

Beth stood up and went to sit with Rick.

"How's your leg?" She asked, too soft for Mika to hear.

"Hurts," Rick admitted.

"I'd like to check it, make sure you didn't tear any stitches."

"Alright," he agreed. Rick got to his feet and limped over to the bathroom. Beth followed after a minute, bringing with her the gauze and sewing kit from the bag.

She shut the door so Mika wouldn't have to see, and looked away for a moment as Rick pulled down his pants, sitting himself on the edge of the tub. Beth got down next to him, sitting cross legged on the floor as she reached for the gauze.

"It hasn't bled through, that's good," Beth said hopefully.

Rick watched as her slim hands brushed lightly over the bindings. He barely felt it as she undid the tucked gauze and unrolled it. He winced only when the last layer was removed.

Beth leaned in to examine both sides of the bullet wound.

"It looks alright." She sounded astonished. Rick let out a minute breath of relief as she began to re-roll the gauze.

Beth stepped back to give him space. She looked through the cabinet under the sink, finding a few things.

"In case you get tired of your new style," Beth said as she offered him the razor she'd found.

"Ah - thank you," Rick grinned. He finished fastening his pants and took the razor.

Beth watched as his eyes widened, and he held up his left hand, staring at it. She looked at it too, and after just a moment, realized what was the matter.

"Your ring!" Beth gasped.

Rick blinked slowly as he stared at his bare hand. He'd left the ring by the sink when he was washing up at the last house. When he'd heard the shots, he'd gone running, and just… forgot about the ring.

"I left it," he said hoarsely. "I left it behind."

Beth bit her lip nervously.

"Do you - I could go back and get it for you. I know it's important to you, and it's my fault we left in a rush…"

"_No_," Rick said sharply. "The ring doesn't matter. Us, the girls - living is what's important. Not the past, not holding onto a dead woman that I should've let go of long ago."

Beth was stunned by his words.

"Alright," she whispered. Slowly, she stepped back. Rick smiled at her, and closed the door behind her.

Beth was feeding Judy mushed peas when the door to the bathroom opened again. She looked up as Rick walked through the door, her mouth opening to say something, but nothing came out.

He was running a hand across his chin absentmindedly, and Beth simply stared at him. Rick had finished shaving, and his face looked clean and smooth. He'd even trimmed his hair back so it no longer fell in his eyes, the brown curls staying back to frame his face.

Rick looked far more like the man who'd she'd first met on her Daddy's farm. She was so struck by him, from the first moment she laid eyes on him - the young, handsome sheriff, trying desperately to save his son.

Now he wasn't wearing the sheriff's hat, or even the outfit, but in this moment, she thought he looked more like a sheriff than ever. It was in how he held himself, standing to his true height, confidence and determination in his eyes.

Rick looked at Beth and couldn't help but smile - her mouth was hanging open, her eyes wide as she stared at him. He couldn't help but feel proud that he'd stunned her so with the change in his appearance.

"Rick," Beth finally managed to say, unaware of how breathy her voice sounded. "You look… good."

Mika was surprised - he did look far less rugged now. And definitely less old than before.

"Thanks," Rick said softly, running a hand through his hair. Little cut-off tufts clung to his hands, and he brushed them off and onto the floor.

"Can I have some crackers?" Mika said, to break the silence. She looked between them - they couldn't seem to take their eyes off each other. She began to feel suspicious, like there was something going on that she wasn't aware of.

Beth tore her eyes away from Rick and turned back to the girls.

"Of course you can. I think I'll have some too."

* * *

They spent a quiet evening inside. Beth had made sure to check Mika's graze wound again. It seemed to be healing well, but she sanitized it with some alcohol. Mika bit her lip at the stinging sensation, but didn't cry out as Beth cleaned the cut and wrapped it again.

They went to the living room to reconvene with Rick and Judy, just as Beth was asking Mika what she already knew about fighting.

"Carol showed us some things about knives and guns," Mika answered. "I can shoot, but I usually can't hit walkers unless they're really close."

Beth and Rick exchanged looks.

"That's great, Mika," Beth told the girl. "I think when we leave I want you to take my revolver, for emergencies. Remember, we don't shoot walkers unless there's no other options."

"Of course," Mika nodded. "Noise draws more walkers."

"Exactly," Beth said approvingly. "Now, I did get this bat for you."

"I've never used one before," Mika admitted.

"It might be hard for you to get enough force to kill a walker," Beth admitted. "You're like me - small, but I bet you're fast, aren't you?"

"I'm good at running away," Mika agreed.

"Are you now?" Beth asked her. "Before we try anything with the bat, let's just practice some dodging. And Rick can give us some pointers, he knows far more about this than me."

Mika nodded, tying back her hair in preparation.

"So I'm a walker," Beth said cheerily. "Grrr…" She raised her arms and came at Mika, slowly.

Rick laughed, and so did Mika. Judith watched the proceedings curiously.

Beth glared at them for laughing, then lunged at Mika. The little girl squeaked and dove out of the way - but not in time. Beth caught her and brought her close, giving her a raspberry on her exposed arm.

"You've gotten bit, now you've lost your arm," Rick told Mika solemnly.

"Ew," Mika moaned, pushing Beth away. Beth just laughed.

"You have to be faster than that."

"Fine," Mika said grumpily. She shifted her feet, waiting for Beth's next attack.

When Beth leapt forward, Mika ducked to the side, avoiding her.

"Good!" Beth said, as she kept herself from falling smack on her face.

They tried it a few more times, until even Rick was satisfied that Mika could dodge sufficiently. Then they got the bat out, and Rick stood to show Mika how best to swing it.

"You remember how at the last house, Beth kicked out that walker's leg?"

"That was cool," Mika said, smiling at Beth.

"You can do the same thing with a bat," Rick explained.

Beth took Judy on her lap and admired Rick's calm teaching attitude, and Mika's eagerness to learn.

About half an hour in, Beth caught Rick stumbling a little.

"Maybe I can have a turn, and you can put Judy down for a nap?" Beth suggested.

Rick shot her a grateful look, glad she didn't make it a big deal out of it. He took Judy into the bedroom, and curled up with her.

When Beth checked in on him a little later, she was amused to discover that they'd both fallen asleep - and the sun was only just setting.

"Shh," she whispered to Mika. "Let's take a break from this. Maybe we can look around again. Keep quiet and pretend it's walkers in the next room. We need supplies, but we can't afford a confrontation."

The two girls went quietly through the house to find any supplies they might have missed. Mika found an old musty coat hanging in the back of the closet.

"It smells funny," Mika declared.

"Wait a second…" Beth's eyes lit up as she saw that it had leather elbow pads. "We can re-use this."

She cut out the leather from the coat with a pair of scissors, then brought out the sewing kit. Mika watched curiously as Beth cut and sewed the leather until she'd made it into a small sheath.

"That's for you," Beth declared.

"Wow…"

They hooked the sheath onto Mika's belt.

"What do I put in it?"

"This," Beth said simply, and displayed a small dagger. It had been in the drawer of kitchen knives, but it would actually be a decent weapon.

Mika's eyes widened as Beth turned the handle around and offered it to her.

"Careful, it's sharp."

Mika took it, feeling a little awed. She tried a few stabbing motions that Carol had taught her, and grinned.

"Does it feel good?"

"Just right," Mika admitted. Her hand wrapped smoothly around the hilt, and it was the right weight for her.

"Then it's yours now," Beth told her proudly.

Mika put the dagger carefully into the sheath on her right hip, and smiled when it fit well. Beth surprised her by moving to put her hands on the younger girl's shoulders, and Mika looked up at her.

"Rick and I are going to look out for you as best you can," Beth said quietly. "But there might come a time when you need to use this. The bat is good because it'll help you keep walkers farther away, but it something's gotten too close, a knife is perfect. And it's not just true for walkers… It works on people too."

Mika bit her lip nervously.

"I don't want to kill a person."

"I know you don't," Beth told her softly. "I don't want to either. But I've had to before, when the Governor brought those people to attack us."

"They weren't all bad," Mika said, thinking of Alisha, and how she'd saved them.

"They were trying to kill us," Beth said firmly. "And Mika, I want you to value your life more than anything else. And sometimes in order to live, you might have to do hard things, like kill people before they can kill you. I'm not saying shoot everyone you meet, but if it's obvious that someone means you harm, do _not_ take chances. Take them out, using whatever you have."

Mika let out a shaky breath and nodded. Beth gave her an approving smile.

"Remember that people are different from walkers - you don't need to drive it into a person's head, their belly will be much easier to stab, and it'll likely stop them fast. Mika, I know you're strong. You've killed walkers before. You can do this too."

Mika hoped that Beth was right, but more than that, she hoped she'd never have to do something like that.

The sun was setting already, and they shared a can of beans and a can of peas while sitting quietly on the couch.

"Say, Beth, do you think…" Mika finally said, breaking the companiable silence.

All of a sudden Beth's hand clamped down over the girl's mouth. Mika froze in surprise.

"Shh," Beth hissed, her body tense. She thought she'd heard something.

Mika held very still, and Beth took her hand off her mouth. Mika listened, and heard the sound of something breaking in the distance, like glass, and then, even more obviously, somebody screamed.

Beth stood immediately, hurrying to grab her machete.

"Beth, what are you…"

"I have to help them."

"What if they're bad people?"

"We don't know that," Beth reminded her tensely. "You have to be ready to meet bad people, but most importantly, you have to remember that there are still good people in the world. It could be your sister, or Carol, my family or our friends out there. Or people like us."

"I don't want you to go," Mika wrapped her arms around herself.

"I know, honey," Beth sighed. She leaned down and took Mika's chin in her hand. "Stay here, lock the door behind me, and keep watch until I'm back, okay?"

She kissed Mika's forehead and hurried out the door, not having the time to stay and reassure the girl. Mika gulped, but did as she was told, and flipped the lock behind Beth.

The girl went to the window again and pressed her face to it. Beth was running down the street, her feet a light pitter patter on the cement, a look of determination on her face as she ran, holding her machete in one hand.

"Please come back," Mika whispered.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: A big thank you to everyone who read and reviewed! You are too kind :) I'm so glad you're enjoying my story. Here's another chapter, let me know what you think of it.

* * *

**Chapter Four**

_Day Three_

"Stop it, please, Lil, you gotta be quiet!"

The desperate cry rose above the sounds of loud sobbing. Beth sidled up alongside a brick building on the corner of the street. When she peeked around it, she saw several walkers in the street making their way to one spot - the cafe across the road.

Beth bit her lip, counting - there were at least five in the street, but the noise of the breaking glass and the wailing woman might draw even more. She crept across the street, getting the drop on one of the walkers. It didn't notice her as she brought her machete down on its head.

The blade sank into it as easy as going through butter. Beth shuddered at the feeling, and yanked the machete back out. The older walkers were so decomposed that it was much easier to kill them - once she'd seen Maggie stomp a walker's head to pieces. The newer they were, the harder it was to destroy the brain.

Beth cornered another walker, slicing into the back of the corpse's head just as it turned towards her.

The last three were alerted by the sounds of her killing the others. Beth backed up as they came towards her, glancing around, then jogged to the left, and took out the largest one with a kick to its knee.

She slashed out as the next one, a middle-aged man in a blood-stained suit, grabbed at her - but she only struck his face, leaving a bloody gash, but not stopping his movement.

He grabbed her left wrist in one slimy hand, and she brought the machete down, taking off his arm at the elbow. It was harder going through bone, the weapon kicked back more against her hand, but she couldn't stop now.

Beth grabbed her knife in her left hand and drove it up into his face - just in time, as he was all too close. He fell, taking her knife with him, and she killed the last walker with a single swing of the machete. Beth pulled her knife from his head, and ran to the cafe.

"Shit, shit, shit!"

The voice from before rose above the sobbing - and it seemed slightly familiar for some reason. Beth was amazed that the other person was still crying - it was suicidal, since it was only bringing more walkers.

She stepped over broken glass, heading through the broken storefront windows instead of going through the front door of the restaurant. It was darker indoors without the fading light of the sun, and Beth squinted.

There was a woman in the corner, standing protectively in front of a huddled person - the one wailing, Beth realized. The woman standing guard was brandishing something, a crowbar maybe, whacking at the walkers, but there were too many, at least a dozen, in the cafe, backing their target into a corner.

The woman drove the crowbar into a walker's head with a snarl, and as she moved, a glimmer of light from a window fell on her face, and Beth recognized her. It was the woman from the prison, Alisha. Her long curly hair hung about her face, moving as she lunged to fight off the attacker.

Beth dropped her machete onto a table, and grabbed her gun. She advanced towards the scene, breathing steadily as she shot walker after walker.

One, two, three, Beth counted silently, remembering what Rick had told her about knowing how many bullets she had.

"Oh, fuck…" Alisha growled as a walker lunged at her and knocked her weapon from her hand. She began to grapple with it, but the walker was large and strong, and soon had her pinned to the wall.

All the while, the woman in the corner was still sobbing, seemingly oblivious to the danger around her and to her companion.

Beth shot a fourth, then a fifth, as the group of walkers turned towards her, attracted by the sound of her gun. A dead man walked right up to her and Beth grabbed her knife and drove it through his skull.

The next two were too close, and she used her last two bullets on them. Five walkers remained, and Beth holstered her revolver and ran back a few feet to grab her machete.

One walker, a young man with red hair, was faster than the rest, stumbling right towards her. Beth ducked out of his way, pushed him into the table, and split open his head with the machete. She glanced at the end of the room, where Alisha was screaming in frustration, struggling with the walker on top of her. It looked like it was a losing battle, and the woman on the floor wasn't helping, she just covered her face and sobbed.

Beth ducked to the right, avoiding the last four walkers, and ran to help Alisha. She brought down her machete, ending the walkers life. Blood splattered over Alisha's pale face, but the walker collapsed, now properly dead.

Beth grabbed the corpse's arm, hauling it off the other woman, who immediately scrambled to her feet and grabbed her lost weapon from the floor.

"Thanks," Alisha gasped.

There was no time to answer - the walkers were upon them. Beth snapped out her leg, knocking one back at the waist, and Alisha leapt forward, smashing the crowbar down on its head.

Beth spun and slashed with all her might, trying to bring them down, and suddenly wished that she'd thought to bring her flashlight - it was getting far too dark. Walkers could see anytime, but she couldn't.

Working together, they brought down the last three walkers, but Beth heard the sound of crunching glass - there were more coming, drawn by the other woman's cries.

"We've gotta go," Beth cried, glancing down at the other woman.

"Lilly, come _on_," Alisha gasped. She reached down and tried to help the other woman up.

But Lilly just pushed her away.

"Meghan wouldn't want this…" Alisha tried.

Lilly looked up, and Beth saw her face for the first time. There was nothing there but pure desolation. Lilly's eyes were red and puffy, and she sniffled as she managed to speak through her tears.

"I just want to see her again."

Beth's heart clenched in sympathy. This woman had lost someone, and wanted to die to be with them. She remembered thinking the same thing, when her mother and brother died.

"I tried to kill myself too," Beth said, her voice ringing through the store, and Lilly finally looked up and met her eyes. "I'd lost my mother and brother, and I just wanted to join them in heaven. If you're not ready to live for yourself, you have to know you have something to live for. Your friend…" She gestured to Alisha, who had leapt forward to smash the crowbar into the head of the walker at the head of the pack.

"She's risking her life for you because she doesn't want to do this without you," Beth said strongly. "None of us can do this alone."

Lilly stared at her, her breaths heaving and ragged, but she was no longer sobbing uncontrollably. Beth looked over to Alisha when she heard a crashing sound.

The brunette had shoved a couple tables together, blocking the walkers from coming closer. They leaned over it, groaning as they reached for her, but the table was too long, and they couldn't get to her. Their weight against it was clearly hurting the woman, she winced as the edge of the table was shoved repeatedly into her hip.

"What about Tara?" Alisha cried. "We have to find her!"

But Lilly just shook her head.

"I don't deserve to live," Lilly whispered. "I was supposed to protect her. But I watched her die. My own daughter…"

Beth reached out and took Lilly's hand in her own, though she kept glancing over at Alisha, checking to make sure she was still blocking the walkers from getting to them.

"I'm so sorry," Beth said sincerely. "I'm sure she loved you very much. Do you really think she'd want you to die? There's still so much you can do with your life before going to meet her."

When there was no response, Beth squeezed Lilly's hand and stood up. With this many walkers, as much as she wanted to save the woman, she couldn't stay.

"I can't hold this much longer!" Alisha cried, clearly struggling.

"Then it's time to go," Beth said crisply.

Alisha pushed the table as hard as she could, and took off running to the back door, glancing down at Lilly.

"I can't die with you," she told her sadly, and moved on. Beth was at her heels, though she glanced back.

Lilly wiped her face and stood up on shaky legs - pulling a revolver out of her pants. Beth swallowed hard as she saw the woman lift it to her head -

Alisha had found the back door, and flipped the lock. Opening the door, she came face to face with two more walkers - beyond them, were dozens more.

"Damnit!" She roared as she struggled to get the door closed.

Beth was caught, staring as the walkers advanced on Lilly. The woman let out a small cry, and fired -

The nearest walker fell to the floor, a hole in its head. Beth's eyes widened - she hadn't shot herself. She still wanted to live.

"Come on!" she shouted, and Lilly ran after her, dodging the arms of the walkers close behind her.

Beth suddenly saw Alisha's plight - but it was too late, as the door slammed open, sending her staggering to the side, losing her crowbar with a clatter.

"Upstairs!" Beth shouted, seeing their only escape option to the left, with walkers ahead of and behind them.

She went left, and took the stairs two at a time. As her boots pounded on the wooden steps, she realized she'd done the same thing twice in one day - she'd used her gun, and drawn far more trouble than she'd wanted. But she knew she couldn't have saved these women if she hadn't done it.

The stairs took her to a small closed door - she tried the handle and it was locked.

"No, no, no!" Beth cried, jiggling the handle.

A hand on her shoulder pushed her aside. She glanced up at Lilly. The woman lifted her gun and shot out the lock - then pushed the door open.

Beth practically shoved Lilly through, and hurried right behind her. Alisha had barely got inside before the walkers were at the door.

Beth slammed it in their faces, but without the lock, it was nearly impossible to keep them out. She turned, pressing her back against it, and trying to dig her feet into the floor.

Thankfully, Alisha slammed her shoulder into it, hard. Together, they were holding it closed, but not for long.

"Get something to push against it!" Beth shouted, and Lilly shoved her gun into her belt before hurrying to find something. She tried to move the couch, but it was too heavy.

Beth looked around for another option, but didn't see many.

"The bedroom door, does it lock?"

Lilly ran to check, calling back a yes.

"We run in there, we can lock it and push the bed against the door," Beth declared, looking at Alisha. The other woman nodded in agreement.

"Go!"

They bolted for the bedroom, the front door of the apartment falling open behind them under the walkers' weight.

Once they were inside, Lilly closed and locked the door. Working together, the three of them pulled the queen bed away from the far corner and pushed it up against the door. The walkers were already slamming on the door, but it would hold for sometime at least.

"Great. Now we're trapped," Alisha growled, clearly frustrated.

Beth glanced around the bedroom. There wasn't a lot here - the bed, a desk and a chair, an old desktop computer, a bookshelf filled with old books, and a standing lamp.

Lilly had collapsed into the chair by the desk looking stunned and withdrawn, but at least she wasn't sobbing anymore. Alisha opened the closet door, and began searching through it.

Beth strode to the single window and peered out. There was a view from the side of the building, over the alley nearby, and the roof of the store next door.

She flicked the lock on the window and pulled it open. It creaked in protest, but soon she had it fully open. That's when she saw it -

"There's a fire escape," Beth said, breathing a sigh of relief.

Alisha hurried over to look at what she'd found.

The dark metal had almost blended in with the night. The walkway ran from beneath this window to under a window further along the outer wall, probably the one to the kitchen. And there was a ladder leading into the alley, they could get out that way!

Just at that moment, the clouds shifted, and a large ray of moonlight came shining down upon them. Beth gulped as she saw a problem with her plan - the moonlight illuminated over a dozen walkers in the alley.

She didn't have the bullets to take them all out, Lilly probably didn't either, and Alisha didn't have a weapon at all.

"There's so many of 'em," Beth whispered.

"_You.__"_

Beth turned in surprise. Alisha was looking at her in astonishment. Evidently the woman hadn't recognized her until now.

"I remember you, from the prison."

In the light, Beth realized that Alisha looked even worse than she had the other day - she was bruised and covered with blood and mud, her hair down and utterly wild. She looked even more exhausted than Beth did.

"You didn't have to come get us, after everything…"

"Yes I did," came her serious reply. "I'm Beth."

She stuck out her hand, and Alisha stared at it for a moment before slowly reaching out to shake it.

"Alisha," she said softly. "The girls that were with you…" She trailed off, looking suddenly fearful.

"They're safe," Beth assure her.

"Then they're doing better than us." Alisha sighed.

The sounds of the walkers against the door were getting louder.

"The fire escape's out only way out," Beth said seriously.

She swung her legs through the window and set her feet on the metal grating, standing up. It squeaked slightly, but it seemed stable enough.

"What'll we do about them?"

Beth frowned down at the walkers. In the side alley between this building and the next, there were six walkers, and at the end of it, Beth could see five more proceeding towards the front of the building.

As quietly as she could, Beth reached into the pocket of her outer shirt for her spare bullets, and carefully reloaded her revolver. She had seven bullets. She might have to use them all to get out of the alley, and the noise would draw the others to swarm them. It didn't seem feasible.

She bit her lip, trying to think of any other way out. Beth glanced across to the next building, and her eyes widened. It was a one story building, so the roof was at about the same height as the fire escape below their feet, maybe a little lower.

"Do you think you could make that jump?" Beth asked Alisha.

"To that roof? Maybe. It's what, seven or eight feet?"

Beth winced. It did seem pretty far.

"Seems like the best chance we've got," Alisha said after a moment. "Lilly!" She gestured for the other woman to join them.

While Beth waited for Alisha to return, she studied the leap. If she couldn't jump it, she could seriously injure herself falling into the alley, and be at the mercy of the walkers positioned there.

She didn't like the look of it, but it still seemed like the safest option they had. The walkers at the door would break in eventually, and climbing down to the alley was too dangerous.

Lilly appeared at the window as Alisha climbed through, joining Beth on the balcony.

"We have to try," Beth said simply, and Alisha nodded in agreement.

"I'll go first," Alisha volunteered. "I'm the tallest, I should be able to jump the furthest."

"Here," Beth said suddenly, offering her machete. "You don't have a weapon, and I have my knife."

"Thanks." Alisha's smile was a mix of gratitude and confusion.

She tossed the machete over to the roof, where it clattered noisily. Beth winced as the noise seemed to reverberate. The walkers in the alley looked around, shambling towards that building, though they couldn't get in.

"Be careful," Lilly said softly. Alisha nodded before she climbed up onto the railing.

"Here goes nothing," the brunette muttered as she bent her knees. Then, leaning back, she threw herself forward, one leg in front of the other, reaching out.

Beth's breath caught in her throat as she watched, knowing there was nothing she could do to help her if she fell.

But miraculously, Alisha landed on her feet - though she was right on the edge, she leaned far enough forward that instead of teetering back into the alley, she rolled forward across the roof. Alisha quickly sprang to her feet, brushing her hands off on her pants.

"Who's next?" She called casually.

Beth stared, impressed, and Alisha grinned.

"I'll go," Lilly said quietly. Beth gave her a hand up, worried for the frail-seeming woman.

Lilly didn't make it as far as Alisha - she was a foot off at least. But her friend grabbed her arm before she could fall, and hauled her up.

"Are you alright?" Beth asked as quietly as she could.

"Yes," Lilly gasped, though she winced as she rubbed her arm.

Beth nodded in relief. She climbed up onto the railing, feeling her heart race as she teetered for balance.

She took a careful breath, then tried to stand up taller.

_You can do this, _she told herself.

Beth shoved off with all her strength, pushing from the balls of her feet to leap forward. She soared through the air, her legs kicking a little in the air, her arms reaching out -

A hand grabbed hers, pulling her forward, but Beth hadn't leapt quite far enough. Her right shin slammed into the edge of the brick, and she cried out in pain.

Alisha wrapped an arm around her, hauling her up the rest of the way, and Beth sank to the floor, gasping as she looked down at her shin. There was a gash there, bleeding already, and it stung.

Alisha got to her knees and began feeling Beth's leg. When she didn't wince at a few touches, Alisha nodded in relief.

"It's not broken, it's just a nasty cut."

"I'm okay," Beth gasped.

Alisha grabbed the bottom of her shirt and ripped off a strip. She tied it around Beth's cut, pulling it tight and double knotting it. When she offered her hand, Beth took it.

She shifted on her feet, thankful that though it stung, altering her weight distribution to that side didn't seem to increase the pain.

"This better have a way down," Beth murmured as she walked around the rooftop, circling the edges to see a way down.

There was an old ladder at the back, and no walkers for at least forty feet. Beth turned around and began to climb down, glancing over her shoulder several times to make sure nothing was getting closer. When her feet touched the ground, she breathed a sigh of relief. One step closer to home, to Judy and Rick and Mika.

She led the way down the street, walking as quickly as she could while still being quiet. Most of the walkers in the area had congregated around the restaurant where'd they'd been shooting, and they remained around there as Beth crept back to the apartment.

The curtains had been drawn since she'd left, and she took it as a sign that Rick was up. They went up the back stairs, and it was only when Beth was at the door that she breathed a sigh of relief.

_Tap. Tap-tap tap. Thunk thunk. _Beth knocked out her pattern on the door. After a moment, the lock turned, and the door opened a crack. She smiled up at Rick, who was standing there, a look of utter relief on his face.

"I heard the shots," Rick said lowly as he opened the door further. "You're alright?"

"Peachy," Beth assured him, leaning up to kiss his cheek impulsively.

He smiled as he stepped back to let her in. Then he saw the visitors, and brought the gun up again fast.

"_Who are they_?" Rick demanded.

The two women were still mostly shrouded in darkness. One had frozen, something long in her hand, the other slowly raised her empty hands.

"Rick, this is Lilly and Alisha," Beth told him. "They needed help, and I gave it. We were almost trapped, but we worked together to get out. They need a place to stay for the night."

Rick frowned, but slowly beckoned for the women to come in. He closed the door behind them, but didn't drop his gun.

Lilly stepped forward, into the light of the lit candle on the counter. Rick looked her over, deciding that she didn't seem like much of a threat, then he glanced at her companion. _Her_.

Rick lunged forward, knocking Beth's machete from her hand and pinned Alisha against the counter.

"You attacked us," he growled, bringing his gun up under her chin.

Alisha gasped, utterly still.

"Alisha was with the Governor, but she saved us," Beth said quickly. "When I got out of the prison with Mika and Judy, her friend was going to shoot us, but she didn't let him. She shot him instead, let us go."

Rick swallowed.

"Don't excuse her coming there in the first place. She might have let you go, but who else did she kill?"

Lilly was trembling, her hand inching towards her belt, and Beth caught her wrist, holding it firmly so she couldn't do anything stupid like grab her gun. If she did, Rick would shoot her, and Beth wouldn't blame him.

"You know what the Governor was like," Beth told Rick. "He built another Woodbury, got them to follow him just like the others did. Karen attacked us with him last year, remember? And we let her in. She proved herself, she was on the _Council_, Rick. Let them prove themselves as well."

"Why did you help them?" Rick asked, squinting at her in the faint light.

"I wouldn't kill a child," Alisha replied quietly.

"But you knew it was a possibility when you decided to attack a group you'd never even met before," Rick hissed. "I saw you bring out Michonne, and Hershel - an old man, with a peg leg? What did you think our community _was_?"

"I didn't _want_ to think." Her voice broke as she closed her eyes. "I was so tired of _thinking_. I just wanted it to be simple. I wanted a safe place, I wanted it all to stop - stop running, stop spending every night out in the cold. He said you were bad people, and I wanted to believe it. And I followed his orders, because it was easy."

Rick watched her intently. He didn't see a lie there, but he'd been wrong before. And yet, she had helped them.

"Rick, I think we should give them a chance." Beth said softly.

He looked to Beth, at the faith in her eyes, and marveled for a moment at her generous spirit. Maybe he couldn't trust them just yet, but he did trust Beth to read people, better than he did.

Rick pulled the gun back from Alisha's throat, and she let out a little sigh of relief. He holstered his revolver, and quickly ran his hands down her sides, checking her for weapons. She had nothing on her, and he stepped back, satisfied.

"Were you at the prison?" He asked Lilly.

"Only at the end," she said quietly. "I wasn't part of the attack, not on your people."

Rick moved forward, checking her as well. She had a single pistol at her hip, and when he opened it, he found there were only three bullets left. He popped out the bullets, tucking them in his pockets, then offered the gun back. Lilly accepted it slowly.

"What I said at the prison," Rick said roughly, his voice ringing in the small, quiet space. "I meant it. I want to think we all can change. You can stay with us tonight, sleep out here in the living room. I'll give you your bullets back in the morning."

"That's reasonable," Alisha accepted. "Thank you."

Rick nodded. He picked up the lit candle in his free hand and headed towards the bedroom.

Beth smiled tiredly at the two women.

"Try to get some sleep," she suggested. "I'll see you in the morning. We can talk about… everything, then."

"Good night." Lilly whispered, and Alisha nodded to her.

Beth closed the bedroom door behind her. Rick was waiting for her inside, and he turned the lock before moving the desk chair underneath the handle.

"I don't think they're going to try anything." Beth told him.

"I don't either," Rick said simply. "But I've been wrong before, and I won't take any chances with Judy's life, or yours, or Mika's."

"Or your own, I hope," Beth said, a small smile on her lips.

Rick shrugged wryly, knowing that he took chances on his own life all the time, and it was hard to change a long-running habit.

"Tired?"

"Exhausted," Beth sighed. She headed over to the corner, where the child's bed was, and smiled as she saw Mika holding her teddy bear in her sleep.

Judith was curled up on a blanket on the floor near the other bed, the queen. She felt something warm curling in her belly at the thought of spending another night in the same bed as Rick.

Beth set down on the edge of the bed and undid her belt, laying it out on the table. Rick did the same, and put the candle on the edge.

The air smelled vaguely of vanilla, and Beth realized that it was a scented candle. She untied the strip of cloth on her leg, exposing the bloody gash.

Rick drew in a sharp breath as he saw it.

"You're hurt." It came out as a growl, and Beth's eyes widened as he fell to his knees beside her. Rick cupped the back of her calf in his hand, raising her leg up to see it better in the light.

"What happened?"

"Jumped from a fire escape to a rooftop, hit my shin on the edge," Beth said ruefully.

His fingers traced gently along the soft flesh on the back of her leg, and Beth tied and failed to suppress a shiver at the sensation. Rick frowned in concern.

"Does it hurt?"

"Yes," she admitted.

Rick set her leg down gently, and reached into his pack to get a few things. He found a clean rag, and splashed a bit of the whiskey on it. Using the homemade alcohol swab, he wiped the cut clean.

Beth hissed at the stinging sensation. Rick held her leg steady as she instinctively flinched against the pain. Next, he searched through a small box of bandaids he'd found in the bathroom, and found one large enough.

He put the large square bandaid over the cut, and looked up at her.

"How's that?"

"You didn't kiss it better." She didn't really she'd spoken her thought until she saw Rick's eyes widening. Beth froze - had she really just said that? Oh god, what he must think of her…

"We can't have that," Rick said, his voice low and rough. He took her socked foot in one hand, and pulled her leg up again. Beth shivered as Rick bent his head and pressed his lips to the skin just below the bandage. He looked up at her as he did it, his gaze steady and intent, and her heart was beginning to race.

He should stop now, Rick knew - let her go, laugh and pass it off as a humorous gesture, something almost paternal… But when Beth's eyes fluttered shut, her lips parted as if she might moan at his touch.

_Beautiful_, he thought. He wanted to stay right here, his lips never leaving her soft skin, and kiss all the way up her thighs… He began to harden in his pants just at the thought, just from kneeling before her and kissing her bare leg.

Beth tried not to give herself away too badly, but the feel of his lips on her bare skin, the sight of him on his knees before her, sent a powerful wave of desire through her. Her leg wasn't supposed to be an erogenous zone, she thought dizzily.

Rick knelt there, his lips close to her skin, warring with himself. He wanted desperately to do more, to show her how much he wanted her. Yet he feared scaring her, making her uncomfortable…

Beth realized that he was suddenly caught up in thought. It didn't look pleasant, his forehead was beginning to crease as it always did when he was stressed. Taking a breath, she reached down and took his face in her hands.

Beth turned his face up towards her, leaning closer, and for a moment, he couldn't breathe. Was she going to… Beth leaned in, Rick's eyes fluttered shut - and she pressed her lips tenderly to his forehead.

Rick gasped as she reached her final destination, surprising him. Gratitude at the gesture soon won out over any disappointment. Her kiss felt like a blessing. He sank closer to her, laying his head against her thigh, and breathed in. Beth sighed softly as she stroked his hair with one hand, his upper back with the other.

"It was a long day," she whispered, and he made a soft noise of assent. "You took such good care of us, Rick."

He could tell she meant every word, and he felt a rush of warmth go through him. Not like before, when the feel of her had made him stiffen - now he was relaxing. Her hands were soft and steady, stroking little patterns into the top of his head and his shoulders.

She shifted, spreading her legs and pulling him closer. He wound his arms about her waist, his head shifting to rest against her belly.

Beth wrapped her arms around him, hugging him gently as she pressed a kiss to his hair. Rick closed his eyes and just breathed in, lost in the feeling of her embrace.

"Couldn't do this without you," he finally managed to say.

Beth smiled at that. He always appreciated her, always made her feel so needed.

"Come on up," she said softly. "That can't be comfortable for your knees."

Truthfully, he hadn't noticed, but he did as she requested, rolling back on his feet before standing and climbing into the bed, pulling the covers over him. He was settling in as Beth turned and crawled to the other side, and a fresh jolt of arousal jolted through him. Crawling across beds was definitely something that Beth shouldn't be allowed to do…

Beth slipped under the covers beside him. Rick reached out for her, winding an arm underneath her. Beth sighed and came in close, curling into him.

Rick brought up his right hand, stroking gently down her face.

"Good night," he said softly, his dark eyes meeting her light blue ones.

"Good night," Beth whispered, wiggling closer.

He let out a ragged breath, and then, slowly, came closer, his eyes never leaving hers. He brushed his lips ever so gently over hers. Beth inhaled sharply, her eyes fluttering closed.

Rick barely moved, just holding his lips to hers for a moment. He wanted - he wanted everything with her, but right now, he was exhausted. In the morning, maybe he'd wake her up with another kiss…

He pulled back, and Beth let out a shaky breath. Rick smiled at her, and she smiled back, amazed. He wanted her too.

Beth snuggled against him, tucking her head into his chest, and he sighed contentedly. They closed their eyes and slowly fell into a state of dreaming, helped on by the feeling of being held by the other.

* * *

_Day Four_

It was light already when Mika woke. She rubbed her eyes and looked around - was Beth back? She plodded across the floor, smiling down at Judith, who was sleeping, and peeked into the large bed.

Beth was there, curled in and around Rick. They were facing each other, Beth's arm around his waist, his over her back. Their legs were tangled, and Beth's face was pressed into his chest, his lips were resting in her hair.

_Oh_, Mika thought, a blush rising on her cheeks. Were they boyfriend and girlfriend? Beth hadn't said anything, but they looked like it, cuddling like that. They looked like they were trying to merge into one creature, they were so close together.

Mika giggled at the thought, and the slight noise disturbed them. Beth moaned in her sleep, burrowing deeper into the cocoon of Rick's arms, which tightened around her in response. Rick nuzzled his nose against the top of her head, and sighed softly before kissing the same spot.

Her eyebrows shot up, and she went to the door - she really had to pee. Mika moved the barricade carefully, then realized she'd forgotten her belt. Beth had said to keep it close, always. Mika hurried back to the bed and grabbed the belt, which had her new knife in it.

Then she unlocked the door and hurried through the living space and into the bathroom - only to stop harshly in the doorway.

The walker turned to look at Mika. Her face was pale and her eyes redrimmed - Mika shrieked and pulled out her knife.

"I'm not going to hurt you!" The walker cried, and Mika realized it wasn't a walker at all, it was a person.

"Beth!" Mika screamed, her grip tightening on her knife as she stared at the intruder.

Something crashed nearby, and the door to the bedroom banged open. The baby began to cry.

Beth leapt through the door, her gun in her right hand and knife in the left. Rick was right behind her with his axe raised. They both took in the situation - Mika, pointing a knife, Lilly, in front of her, holding her hands up.

"Mika, it's okay!" Beth said quickly. "I brought her here."

The ten year old took a deep, shaking breath. She backed slowly away from the strange woman, and raced over to Beth, hugging her tightly. Beth slid her knife into her belt and returned the girl's hug with one arm.

"Mika, this is Lilly. Her friend is Alisha - you remember her, don't you?"

Mika peeked out, realizing that there was another woman with messy hair standing by the couch, offering her a little wave.

"From the prison," Mika remembered.

"They were the people I heard last night. They needed our help. I found them and brought them here."

Mika bit her lip, eyeing Alisha and then Lilly.

"I'm sorry I scared you," Lilly said carefully.

"It's okay," Mika said, her heartrate slowly settling down.

Rick slipped back into the bedroom, setting down his axe and picking up his crying daughter instead. He bounced her gently in his arms, planted a kiss on her little nose, and slowly her wails turned into soft whines.

"I'm sorry I woke you up," Mika said, feeling embarassed.

"Don't be," Rick said firmly.

"You did _exactly_ the right thing," Beth assured her, smiling at her. "When you see walkers or people you don't know, alerting us to the danger is very important."

Mika smiled up at her in relief. Rick bounced Judith in his arms, trying to quiet her.

"Mika, would you mind making up a bottle?" Rick asked, and she nodded and went into the bedroom.

"How'd you sleep?" Beth asked politely.

"Fine, thanks," Alisha said with a nod.

"Thank you for letting us stay," Lilly said quietly. "Do you want us to leave now?"

Beth and Rick glanced at each other. They didn't say anything for a moment, communicating with their gaze. Beth tilted her head hopefully, and after a moment, Rick's face softened, and he turned back to them, lowering his axe.

"I have three questions for you both."

Alisha glanced at Lilly, and received a small nod. Rick turned first to Lilly.

"How many walkers have you killed?"

She frowned.

"I'm not sure. Thirty, maybe?"

Beth looked at her in surprise. She must have been fairly sheltered for most of this experience. Most people she knew, who weren't just children, had killed hundreds at this point.

"How many people have you killed?"

Lilly drew in a shaky breath.

"One," she whispered.

"Why?" Rick asked, peering closely at her.

Her bottom lip quivered as she answered him.

"Because he _lied_ to me." Her voice rose with fury. "He left us alone, took my little sister to his war, and my daughter died. I brought her to him, to show him what he'd wrought. David took her and put a bullet through her head, and he was cold. He never cared for her - he just pretended to love us to get what he wanted. He got everyone in our group killed for his cause, and that was a lie as well."

She let out a shaky breath, and then smiled bitterly.

"I saw him, crawling away from the fight. He was wounded, but alive. He just looked at me, and he gave me that smile he used to get in my bed, _lying_ again to get what he wanted. And I knew I _hated _him. So I killed him."

Rick blinked, realizing who she meant.

"The Governor? You're _certain_ he's dead?"

They finally saw Lilly smile, though it was bitter.

"Whatever his name is, he's dead. I put a bullet in his head - just like he did to my Meghan."

Rick looked at Beth. She gave little nod, signaling her approval, and he nodded as well.

"Alisha. How many walkers have you killed?"

"Probably in between three and four hundred."

"How many people have you killed?" He watched her carefully.

The brunette's jaw clenched.

"I'm not sure," she said tightly. "Two dozen at least."

"_Why?_"

Alisha looked him right in the eye.

"I had seventeen confirmed kills in Desert Storm, serving my country. I know there were probably more, but they were unconfirmed. Two people I killed to protect myself, one I killed out of mercy. The last four, you already know why. Because I made the easy choice."

Rick nodded slowly.

"Alright then. If you want to stay, you can."

"Really?" Alisha asked sharply. "After what I did?"

"I can let go of what happened," Rick said, eyeing her closely. "If you're willing to be part of this group, and work together, all our chances of survival go up."

Alisha looked for a moment to her companion, but received no solid answer.

"We're in." She stuck out her hand, and Rick shook it.

"Then welcome."

* * *

_Day Five_

The last two days had been immensely frustrating. They'd left Franklin, taking the highway southeast to Corinth, and then gone southwest to Hogansville. Neither town bore any sign that Carl - or anyone else from the prison - had been through there. Rick figured that Carl wouldn't have gone too far. They'd talked about this before, back when they'd gone out on runs together. If they were separated, they'd meet up in the nearest town, wait there until the other arried. The problem was that they hadn't designated a specific town if they had to leave the prison.

Now they were headed back north, aiming at reconnecting to the highway and reaching Grantville by the end of the day. It was a hot day, and Judith was whining. Beth had found her a little hat, it kept the sun off her face, but she must be pretty hot in the sling, Rick reckoned. The sweat was dripping off him, and he knew that wouldn't be comfortable for her either, but they didn't have much choice.

"Walker at ten o'clock!" Mika called.

Beth raised the machete, but before she could head forward, Alisha jogged ahead and took it down before it even reached the road, burying the axe in its head.

"Got it," she said triumphantly, removing the weapon before bending down to check the corpse for anything useful.

Beth lowered the machete, and when she glanced at Rick and their eyes met. They hadn't had a moment to themselves since two nights ago. Since they kissed, Beth thought, and color began to rise in her cheeks. His lips quirked up, knowing what she was thinking about.

Despite everything, she hadn't been able to get it off her mind.

"You think she'll let any of us help today?" Beth whispered knowingly.

In the day and a half she'd been traveling with them, Alisha had proven herself a highly useful addition to the group. She surged ahead of them when she saw a walker, taking it down with the axe Rick had given her. At first Rick thought she might be trying overly hard to prove herself to them, but it seemed she just had a healthy thirst for the kill.

Alisha had seemed to take Rick at his word about moving on from what had happened at the prison. She spoke up frequently, and was blunt in her opinions, which Rick highly respected.

Lilly was the total opposite. She'd said barely anything to any of them. He caught her looking at Mika and Judith frequently, with a sad, hopeless look in her eyes. Beth had told him that she'd lost her six year old daughter the day the prison fell, and Rick's heart went out for the woman. He didn't know her, though, or what to say to help her. He couldn't imagine what it would feel like to lose either of his children.

"I'm enjoying the break," Rick admitted to Beth.

"You want me to take Judith?" She offered.

"Nah, I've got her. Missed carrying her," Rick said wistfully. Today was the first day Beth had allowed him to take stints carrying his daughter. His leg was stronger now, ready for the extra weight. He'd even gone without pain pills today, to see if he could. He could feel the ache where the bullet had torn through the flesh of his thigh, but it wasn't a sharp, blinding pain like it had been in the first few days.

Beth's eyes flickered over a sign at the side of the road.

"Finally," she murmured thankfully.

_WELCOME to GRANTVILLE, _the sign read_. _

"What's in Grantville?" Mika asked her.

"Not a whole lot," Rick replied truthfully. "Like most of the towns close to the prison, we cleared out all the stores of supplies, as well as most of the houses in the town center."

This could be the town, he thought hopefully. The place where he found his son.

In each town they'd been through - Franklin, Corinth, and Hogansville - Rick had made sure to clear and secure a building. He'd written a message on the road near each one - Carl, stay here, I will return, Dad and Judith, Beth and Mika. Rick's plan was to go to each town that Carl might have reached in the first few days, and if he didn't find him then, he would circle back around, rechecking. Carl had to find one of his signs, and then he'd wait there, staying safe until Rick found him.

"I'm hungry," Mika whispered, slipping her hand into Beth's. Her baseball bat dragged along the ground behind her, making a light scraping sound.

"I know, sweetie, so am I."

Now that they had a larger group, the food - and water - had gone much more quickly. They'd finished the last of their food for breakfast early this morning, splitting two cans of peaches and the last of the chocolate between five people. What was worse was the lack of water - everyone's bottles were down to a few sips, and they were all overheating in the sun. Rick knew that Beth still had nearly a full canteen, but she'd been drinking less than they had, saving it to make the formula for Judith.

He looked at Beth carefully. She was as pretty as ever, but her soft lips were starting to chap in the sun. Her tongue flicked out, wetting her lips, and he swallowed, imagining kissing her again. They hadn't spoken about it yet. Sharing a room with Mika had kept anything from happening, although they had wound up cuddled together again.

Mika suppressed a giggle. Beth and Rick were staring at each other again, taking turns - the moment Rick looked away, Beth glanced at him. It was actually pretty cute, she thought.

Letting go of Beth's hand - as comforting as it was, sharing body heat just made her hand sweatier - Mika glanced behind them. Alisha and Lilly were walking together, Alisha murmuring something. Then she saw something behind them, and her eyes widened.

"Walkers!" Mika hissed, yanking on Beth's sleeve.

Beth whirled around, and fought the urge to shout.

"Stay with Rick, and _keep moving_," she whispered to Mika.

There were at least a dozen walkers emerging from the woods about five yards behind Alisha and Lilly. But neither of them had spotted the threat yet.

Beth hurried to them, a finger over her mouth, and beckoned her companions closer. Alisha frowned, looking behind her - she grabbed Lilly's arm, and began to run.

Her boots made more noise on the road as she picked up speed. Beth's heart leapt as the walkers turned, spotting them.

"Run!" Beth called. She turned to catch up with Rick, who was already jogging quietly ahead with Mika at his side.

And the chase began. They were faster than the walkers, but they would tire, and the enemy was relentless.

Rick looked over his shoulder, and cursed under his breath - that was more than he'd thought. There were two dozen at least, more emerging from the trees… They were coming south, Rick noted - did this herd form at the prison?

They ran and ran, until they reached a bend in the road, and they were out of sight of the walkers for a moment. Rick jerked his right arm out, pointing to a small residential road. They couldn't fight off this many, not grouped together, nor could they outrun them. Their best bet was to hide inside a house and wait for the herd to pass.

Beth followed him, urging Mika along. The younger girl's breath was coming short, but she didn't complain or try to slow down.

Rick hurried down the block, choosing the third house on the left. He didn't know why he chose it, maybe because of the tire swing in the front yard. Carl always loved swings; he liked the sensation of flying, and for a few years, he'd wanted nothing more than to be a pilot.

The front door was ajar, and Rick moved inside, drawing his knife in his right hand, and curling his left arm around Judy, keeping her close. Beth pushed past him, a blade in each hand. He let her by, knowing she was better on point while he was carrying Judith.

She found a walker in the kitchen, slouching by an open fridge, almost as if he were about to reach inside and take out a cold beer.

He looked up as Beth approached - and she slashed the machete into the top of his head. It didn't go quite deep enough, and he reached out to her.

Beth twisted her left arm through his grasp, putting the knife up and through his left eye. The walker immediately lost motor function, his arms falling before they could reach her face. He toppled to the floor, and Beth spared a glance into the fridge.

It was filled with perishable food - milk, meats and cheeses, so long-spoiled they were dried out, and had no more appeal anyone, not even fruit flies. Beth toed the walker out of the way, and closed the fridge door.

She stepped to the next door, but it was just an empty half-bath. Opening the last door here, she saw dark stairs down to a basement.

Beth glanced out the window, and froze. There was another herd, coming right towards the house. They were caught between two of them.

She turned to Rick and pointed frantically at the stairs. She shrugged off her backpack, grabbing her flashlight from her outer pocket. Then she hurried down the steps.

Rick was right after her, and Mika on his heels. Lilly and Alisha brought up the rear, shutting the door, and then they were in pitch darkness except for the thin beam of light.

The steps creaked underneath her feet. As she stepped onto the stone floor, Beth moved the flashlight around - and saw them.

They saw her at the same time, ambling towards her. An elderly couple, in the left corner - and just ahead, a fat male walker clad in red pajamas.

"Walkers!" Beth hissed, alerting the others.

There was no warning as the light abruptly cut out. Beth

Her flashlight went out. Beth gasped, flicking it, but it didn't work. _The batteries were dead._

Mika let out a muffled cry, terrified, as a hand clasped her shoulder in the dark.

"Flashlight, outer pocket," Rick hissed in her ear. Mika scrambled to obey, her hands scooting over his arm to find the backpack. She fumbled with the zip, undoing it, and took it out.

She pushed it into Rick's hand - he clicked the button, and pointed it ahead - and illuminated two white haired walkers advancing towards him, mere feet away.

Alisha leapt off the side of the stairs, gripping the axe in both hands. With a single swing, she buried it in the female walker's skull. Rick held Judith tight as he kicked out his right foot, knocking back the other walker.

Alone in the dark, Beth fumbled with her bag - she had a lighter in the outer pocket. She flicked it, but it didn't light - she tried again, and it _lit_.

She gasped as it illuminated the half-eaten face of a dead man. Beth swung the machete wildly, and it embedded in the side of his head.

He grabbed her left arm, and the faint light blew out. Beth let go of the machete as she instead grabbed his shoulder, pushing him back.

The walker was strong, though - it surged against her, knocking her back. She let out a soft cry of panic as she tried to push it off her.

Beth could hear its groan close by - her hand slipped to its neck, pushing hard, but it was lowering closer and closer to her face.

Rick heard Beth's cry of panic and felt a frission of panic shoot through him. He was trying to take out the walker, but was having a hard time knifing it while also keeping it far from the baby in his arms.

Mika gulped as she heard Beth scream. Rick was busy… Gripping her bat tight, the ten year old ran down the steps.

"Beth?"

"I'm here, _please_, it's _on_ me," she sobbed in fear.

The sound helped her pinpoint Beth's location. Mika stepped closer, squinting in the dark, and raised her weapon.

Rick finished off his walker with his knife, and spun the light around, lighting up Beth and the walker atop her. His eyes widened, and he leapt forward, but he simply wasn't close enough to save her.

Mika swung the bat into the side of its head. It knocked it slightly to the side, and she did it again, and finally Beth managed to push it to the side, gasping for breath.

Beth rolled over, pinning the walker to the ground with her hands on its shoulder. Mika lifted the bat over her head and cried out as she smashed it into the walker's head, again and again.

It was almost like hitting a pinata, Mika thought dizzily - except instead of candy flying everywhere, there was blood. Finally, it stopped moving, and Mika gasped, staring down at it. She'd killed it.

Beth got to her feet, pulling Mika into her arms.

"You _brave_ girl, thank you," she murmured. Mika shuddered and dropped the bloody bat on top of the dead walker, then wrapped her arms tight around Beth's waist.

"Was that all of them?" Rick asked, his voice shaky. He scanned the room with his flashlight, but there didn't seem to be any more movement.

"I'll check the corners," Alisha offered, holding out a hand.

Rick handed her the light, and she headed off. The rest of them were left in darkness again.

Beth squeezed Mika gently, and leaned in to whisper something in her ear.

"I'm so proud of you. You're so strong."

She had killed a monster, she had saved Beth, when nobody else did. Maybe, Mika thought in surprise… She was strong.

Beth was startled as a strong arm wrapped around her - Rick.

"Beth, I'm so sorry," he whispered. She slipped her own arm about his waist, Mika and Judith nestled in between them.

"Don't be sorry, it's not your fault," Beth whispered back. "Rick, I'm alright."

But he couldn't seem to stop shaking. She'd come so close to dying, and he hadn't been there. Judith let out a whimper, and Beth bent to kiss her hair.

"All clear," Alisha said quietly as she returned with the light.

"There's a second herd, I saw it out the window," Beth said softly. "We should stay down here for a while, maybe until tomorrow to be safe."

"You're right," Rick said quietly.

"There's an old couch over there," Alisha told them. "And a bean bag."

They followed the beam of light to the couch. Alisha settled onto the bean bag, and Lilly quietly joined her. When they were all sitting, Alisha flicked off the flashlight.

Knowing that potentially hundreds of walkers were nearby, nobody was willing to make any noise that might bring them calling. So they sat in near silence, nobody save a word, save for Judith, who was whimpering in confusion.

Rick offered her a finger to hold. She took it in her tiny little hands and brought it to her mouth, quieting as she sucked on it contentedly.

He could feel Beth right beside him, almost close enough to touch. Rick grimaced in the dark, guilt flowing through him. He'd nearly lost her again. He should have noticed her sooner, saved her… It was only good luck and Mika's sudden courage that kept Beth from dying.

Beth slipped her hand into Rick's. She laced their fingers together, and squeezed gently. He let out a shaky breath, and Beth leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder.

He leaned back, his anxiety slowly seeping from him. She didn't blame him, he tried to remind himself. She still wanted to be here - to be holding his hand. Rick gently adjusted his hand, unlacing his fingers from hers, and instead wrapped his sideways about hers. It was so small in his, he marveled.

Rick stroked his thumb in little circles over the back of her hand. Beth's breathing sped up as he touched her. Lord, that felt good.

Mika was curled up on the right side of the couch, her backpack on her lap. She'd gotten to trade out the bulky diaper bag yesterday, when she'd found a cute Hello Kitty backpack that she liked much better. Rick had moved Judith's things into his bag, so Mika didn't have much in her bag - but she did still have her teddy bear.

"Hi Griselda," Mika whispered, kissing the teddy bear's nose. She snuggled her teddy into her chest, sighing happily at the feeling. It made her feel better to hold it.

Mika ran a hand through her bag, feeling for her things. Her book was at the top, _Betsy-Tacy_. She'd finished it last night, but maybe she'd re-read it when they had light again. It was a really nice book, about two little girls who were best friends. Then she found her water bottle and lifted it up to take a sip - just a little one, since there wasn't much left. Setting it back in, Mika felt her toothbrush, and her rolled up spare clothes. Her hand brushed over something smooth that crinkled, and she frowned.

She pulled out the object, and gasped as she realized what it was. She still had a fruit roll-up! She'd forgotten she had any left, it must have gotten mixed up in her clothing. She tore off the wrapping eagerly.

"Mika, what's that?" Beth asked softly.

"Fruit roll-up," the little girl murmured happily. She tore off a piece and popped it into her mouth.

The sweet flavor of strawberries washed over her tongue. A little further down, it began to taste like grape. Mika hoped that it would make her feel less hungry - her stomach felt very empty. Breakfast was so long ago, and she'd only had a few squares of chocolate and a few bites of peaches.

The fruity snack dwindled quickly, and soon it was a much smaller roll. Mika suddenly wondered if they'd like some - and felt bad that she hadn't thought of it before.

"Do you want some?" She whispered to Beth.

"No thanks, sweetie," Beth said gently. "You enjoy it."

"Rick?"

"I'm good, thanks." Came his hoarse voice in the darkness.

Mika thought for a moment of their new companions. She didn't know them very well yet. Alisha seemed really tough, and she had taught Mika the o'clock system for walker warnings. Lilly never said much, she just seemed really sad. Maybe the snack would make her feel better?

She left the couch, walking slowly in the direction of the bean bag.

"Would you like any of my fruit roll-up?" Mika asked in a whisper. "It's the last one."

"Yeah," Alisha said gratefully. "Thanks, kid."

Mika tore her off a piece, and held it out. After a moment, Alisha found it in the dark, and took it.

"Lilly? It's really good," Mika urged her.

"Alright," came the mournful whisper.

Mika held out a strip, but Lilly didn't reach for it, so she came closer - and tripped right over Alisha's feet. She landed partly on the bean bag, partly on Lilly.

"Shit, I'm sorry," Alisha said in an undertone.

"Mika?" Beth called quietly.

"I'm fine," she replied. Mika tried to get up, and Lilly helped her - she ended up sitting halfway in her lap.

"Um, here," Mika said shyly.

Her eyes were slowly starting to adjust to the dark, and she was starting to see outlines. She brought up a piece of roll-up to Lilly's mouth. The woman opened her lips, startled, and ate it.

Mika sat there, waiting hopefully for a reaction.

"Do you like it?"

"Yes, thank you," Lilly murmured.

"Want some more?"

"…okay."

She gave her another piece.

"Do you want a hug?" Mika whispered. Hugs always helped make her feel better.

The woman shuddered slightly. And, so faint Mika barely heard it, came another _yes_.

Mika adjusted herself in her lap, turning to wrap her arms about Lilly's neck. For a moment, she didn't get a response. Then Lilly's arms came up, and she hugged her so tight Mika almost couldn't breathe.

Just when she was about to ask her to loosen her arms, Lilly did, letting out a breath, her arms relaxing a bit. Mika snuggled close to her, hoping it was helping.

After a moment, she realized that her face was getting wet. Lilly was crying. She didn't want to make her feel bad, so she didn't say anything. She carefully lifted her hand and softly began to pat Lilly's back.

Rick released a breath he didn't know he was holding when Judith's mouth slackened around his finger. He pulled back, wiping his digit on his pants, realizing in amusment that it was probably pruny by now. She was sleeping.

He squeezed Beth's hand once more, then let go. He leaned down, making a little bed on the rug with the baby blanket and his spare clothes. Beth helped him undo the sling, and he carefully laid Judith down.

The baby sighed once, but remained asleep. Rick took the moment to stretch, raising his arms towards the ceiling and arching his back. Carrying Judith had made his muscles a little stiff.

The sounds of crying were slowly fading. Either Lilly was out of tears, or she was falling asleep.

The thought of sleep was tempting - it was dark, and they had nothing to do. Beth seemed to think the same - as he settled back, she laid her head on his leg, stretching out along the couch.

He wished he could see her right now, but he settled for feeling. He ran a hand through her hair, his fingers trailing through her soft tresses. Beth let out a contented little sigh, and he continued playing with her hair.

She almost couldn't believe Rick was touching her like this. Without any light, she felt freer, more inclined to be bold. She'd laid down in his lap, and he hadn't protested, he'd just starting stroking her hair, now her scalp… _Oh_, he had such lovely hands.

The pads of his fingers pressed down firmly along her scalp, pushing away the tension that had gathered there. They traced down to her temples, rubbing gently at her forehead. When his hand pressed against the base of her neck, a helpless little noise escaped her mouth - it felt too good.

He smiled in the dark as Beth moaned for him. He did it again, slowly massaging away the tension in her neck. His hand continued down to her shoulders, and she sighed and pushed against him.

A light flicked on in the far corner. Rick squinted over at it, and guessed that Alisha had grown bored. He watched for a minute, and soon saw a smaller figure slip into the light - Mika. She came up to Alisha, and the woman bent her head, conversing with the child. Together, they began opening boxes, taking things out as they searched - perhaps for something useful, or maybe just to pass the time.

With Lilly and Judith asleep, and the other two so far away, Rick realized for a moment that he and Beth were almost alone. As alone as one could get in these circumstances.

He squeezed his hand against her shoulder, entranced by the way she shuddered at the feeling. When he dug his knuckles between her shoulder blades, a tiny little whimper escaped her mouth. He kept going, feeling her body slowly relaxing under his ministrations.

He'd never touched her quite like this before. They'd hugged, cuddled, kissed foreheads and injuries, but it was never for so long, or quite so intimately. He could feel the muscles of her back, the soft skin of her neck, her soft hair tickling against him… And he just wanted to feel more. He wanted to touch every part of her, learn her body and everything she liked.

His pulse was rushing, just from a simple backrub, and still he couldn't stop. It all felt secret in the dark of the basement. Nobody would know - except for Beth. And she made it clear she liked it, by pushing against him and letting out those soft little sighs.

"Rick," she murmured at last. He wondered if he'd ever heard his name spoken quite like that before. It was a plea, a verbal caress, and a blessing all at once. How did she always make him feel so peaceful, and so effortlessly at that?

"Beth," he whispered back, something new in his tone.

His hand trailed down her back, caressing the sides of her waist. It felt safe right now, in the dark. Just the two of them, in their own little world - nobody would know if she just kissed him.

Rick paused as Beth rolled onto her back. Then she rose, curling up to sit beside him. He wished she hadn't, he wanted her close again, wanted to touch her and make her moan again…

She didn't leave him wondering for long. Before she could doubt herself, Beth moved to straddle his lap, her hands coming up to caress the sides of his face, stroking along the soft skin down to where the stubble covered it.

Rick hissed in surprise. Beth was _in his lap, _and touching his face. She shifted in, and suddenly he could feel her hot breath on her lips.

"_I wanna kiss you_," she whispered shamelessly, heart racing.

His breath caught in his throat. Rick seized her hair in one hand, gripping it firmly to tug her in while his left arm wrapped about her waist, pulling her body flush against him.

They both moved slowly as their lips touched for the second time, warm and dry, their breaths coming short and hot. Beth shuddered, pressing into him, and Rick licked softly at her mouth. She opened for him, just a little, but enough for him to steal in and taste her. _Perfect_, he thought blissfully.

Beth's eyes closed, her body thrumming with want. She flicked her tongue out to meet his, exploring languidly at first. She forgot to do anything but this, forgot to breathe and grew dizzy, kissing him slow and deep before shuddering and inhaling desperately through her nose, unwilling to part from him.

Rick lost track of everything but her - what was time, or the world, outside of Beth Greene? In this moment, she was the only thing that mattered. Small but fierce, consuming him mind and body, removing all desire to do anything else but kiss her. God help him, he'd do anything for this woman…

* * *

A/N:_ Deleted part of the scene here as per FFnet regulations. You will find the full version of it on my AO3 account, same username, Stellata._

* * *

When he could sense the world again, he felt Beth, sated and boneless against him. He breathed against her lips, wondering if she knew how utterly he needed her. He marveled at how relaxed he was, how she had completely unraveled the knots in his body and his mind with her touch.

He kissed her, slow and steady, trying to put everything he felt into this one simple, yet essential gesture. She kissed back, sweet and certain, no shyness now, all confidence and affection. Rick was amazed that _he could do this, now. _

"Beth," he said wondrously, fingers winding through her silky hair. "I never thought I could… Have this."

"You do. Have me," she said softly, meaning it completely.

Her response left him lost for words for a moment. Rick took her hand, lifted it, and carefully pressed it to his chest, just over his heart. Beth breathed in steadily as she felt the steady thumping beneath her palm.

"_Beth_," he murmured simply, his voice filled with wonder. "You have me too."

She sighed happily, tucking her head into his neck as she curled into him. Rick stroked her hair, his smile growing by the moment.

He looked across the room, squinting into the light, and saw Mika and Alisha sitting together with a book between them. There were soft sounds of sleep nearby from Lilly and Judith. They had disturbed nothing, nobody had disturbed them. For a time, they'd been entirely in their own little world.

All the worries he'd had about his feelings for Beth had vanished. What they had was good, _fantastic_ even. Rick didn't think he'd ever felt so completely happy. Without him knowing it, Beth was feeling the exact same thing.


	5. Chapter 5

_Day Five_

Beth cautiously opened the kitchen door and peered out. The mild light of the early morning made her wince after hours in the dark. She blinked a few times, clutching her knife, and waited for her eyes to adjust.

She crept through the kitchen, peering first out the back door, then the other windows. There wasn't a single walker, so she moved quietly into the dining room, then through the house.

Beth saw two walkers in the distance, far down the street, wandering away. They'd been here long enough for both herds to pass them by. She continued through the house, staying on her guard as she cleared each room. There were no nasty surprises, and she smiled with pleasure as she returned to the kitchen and called down to the others.

"All clear!"

Mika darted up next, rubbing her eyes.

"Is there food?"

"Let's see," Alisha said excitedly, going to the cupboards to search. Lilly was right behind her, and then Rick climbed up with Judith in his arms, blinking in the early morning light.

Beth smiled as she saw him, for the first time since… well, _before_.

Rick stopped in his tracks, just looking at Beth for a moment. She was so beautiful, he marveled. He stepped to her, shifting his daughter into one arm so he could reach out and touch Beth's arm with his other hand.

"Good morning," he said softly.

"Morning," Beth returned shyly. He was looking at her so intently, she started to flush. He knew now… What she tasted like, the noises she made when she came…

Rick watched in amusement as Beth's cheeks began to redden. He stepped in closer, and her breath caught.

"Something the matter?" He drawled softly. Despite her blush, Beth's lips quirked up in a mischevious smile.

"I don't know, Sheriff," Beth purred. "Why, am I in trouble?"

"No, Miss Greene," Rick said softly. "I think you are the trouble."

He stroked his hand slowly down her cheek, and as he leaned in, she happily tilted her head up. Their lips connected in a soft press. Rick's hand curled gently in her hair, and Beth's hands crept to his hips as she shifted onto her tiptoes to kiss him harder.

"Now that's what I call breakfast," Alisha's triumphant voice rang through the room.

Beth sighed softly as they pulled apart to look. Her eyes widened as she saw shelves stocked with food. Mika and Alisha were bending down to pull out can after can… There were mandarain oranges, cream of mushroom soup, chili, garbonzo beans, canned corn, a giant jar of applesauce…

"Judith, look! Your favorite," Beth gasped happily as she went to grab the applesauce.

Rick joined her at the table, handing Judith to Beth once the young woman had sat down. He found her a bowl and a small spoon while she she opened the jar, and soon Beth was spooning the applesauce into her baby girl's mouth.

"Aah," Judy said happily as she ate the applesauce, swallowing happily.

The others worked to take out everything edible they could find, and moved it to the counters. By the time they were done, there was barely any counter space left.

"What are you going to have?" Rick asked Mika cheerfully.

"I can't decide between tomato soup and chicken noodle," she frowned.

"Have some of both," Rick said after a moment - they had skipped dinner, after all, and they were all starving.

Mika giggled happily, carrying both cans to the table.

Beth looked up as Rick rested a hand on her shoulder, leaning down to smile at her and Judy.

"Beth, can I get you something?"

"I'd love some of that chicken noodle soup," she grinned at him.

"Coming right up." He promised.

Lilly took a bottle of seltzer water from the closet, and poured everyone a glass to go with their food.

After serving Beth, Rick took a tin of clams for himself, along with a jar of dill pickles. He fished a pickle out with his fingers, and groaned as it crunched perfectly between his teeth.

Beth stole a pickle as well, and the others followed suit. Soon enough, the jar was empty. Lilly quietly worked on her cream of mushroom soup, while Alisha dug into a can of beef chili.

"I like dinner for breakfast," Mika beamed as she scraped out the last of her tomato soup.

When he finished a second pickle, Rick got up to check the perimeter. He walked around the house, determined there were no threats nearby, and came back in. Beth smiled in relief when he came back to the kitchen.

Rick sat down between Beth and Mika, and glanced over at their new companions as he opened the tin of clams.

"Do you two have a place you're trying to get to?"

Alisha's face fell slightly.

"No place in particular. My girlfriend, Tara - Lilly's sister - she was at the prison. She wasn't fighting though, she couldn't go through with it. I told her to get out and wait for me, but I didn't name a place. I know she's out here somewhere, but I have no idea where to start looking."

"Brunette, with a ponytail?"

"Yeah - how'd you know?"

"When we were at the prison, I saw her. She looked more worried than the rest of you - she didn't want to be part of the attack."

Alisha looked down into her soup.

"Always knew she was smarter than me," she said quietly. Lifting the can to her lips, she drank down the last bit of her chili.

Rick paused, setting down his fork.

"I didn't mean - "

"I know you didn't," Alisha cut him off briskly. "You haven't treated me with anything but respect. You said you'd let go of what happened, and you clearly have, at least in regards to me. I can't say I understand it, after I shot you -"

Beth's hand jerked, knocking her glass over. It clattered on the table, the last few sips of sparkling water spilling over the surface. Mika stared at Alisha, stunned at the new information.

"I lived," Rick said calmly, though inwardly he was a little surprised. He had thought it was the Governor who had shot him. But in retrospect, it was obvious that it could have been anyone, with how many bullets were flying.

Alisha shook her head, an amused smile spreading across her face.

"Tough guy, huh," she smirked, and Rick found himself smiling back. "All I meant is what I said. Tara's more ethical than me, she's better with people. When we find her, you'll want her in the group."

"With that glowing character recommendation, how could we not?" Beth said lightly.

Rick reached for her under the table, finding her thigh and squeezing it with gentle approval. She'd been startled to hear it was Alisha who shot him, but she wanted to stick by the deal they'd made with these women - to move past whatever had happened before, and focus on the future.

"Is there a kid's room upstairs?" Mika asked Beth. "Maybe they have the sequel to Betsy-Tacy."

"There is," Beth told her. "If it doesn't have the book you're looking for, I'm happy to give you recommendations."

"Cool." Mika smiled.

When they finished with breakfast, everyone looked much better. After having three square meals a day at the prison, missing a single meal the night before had been hard on them.

Still, Rick reminded himself, they really shouldn't get too used to this. They would most likely miss another meal, maybe several. When they were on the road before they found the prison, Rick and Beth had gone days without eating.

Judith's eyes were closing. Full of formula and applesauce, she was sleepy and content. Beth stood carefully, holding the baby in her arms.

"Do we need to head out right away?" Alisha questioned.

Rick was torn - he wanted to find Carl. But Judith hadn't slept much last night, and had kept him up. If they started moving again, she would probably wake up and be cranky.

"Maybe we should let her sleep a little," Beth said softly. "You two can nap, Alisha and I will scout out the town."

"Sounds good to me," Alisha agreed.

Beth walked with Rick upstairs. He set Judith down on the bed, and sat down beside her.

"Try to get some more sleep," Beth urged him.

"I'll try, but I don't like you being away," Rick admitted.

"I can handle myself - "

He caught her hand and looked at her seriously.

"I know you're strong, Beth. I just don't like being separated. We're both stronger together."

She softened, leaning towards him for a quick, sweet brush of their lips.

"We are," Beth agreed with a smile. "But I'll be back soon."

"I'll hold you to that." Rick said lowly.

* * *

Lilly looked across the kitchen and caught Mika peering out the back door, a troubled look on her face.

"Walker?" Lilly asked crisply, hurrying over to the girl.

"No," Mika assured her quickly.

"You look worried," the woman said after a moment.

Mika bit her lip.

"I don't like being separated from Beth," she confessed. "She always makes me feel safer."

Lilly smiled at that.

"I'm sure your sister will be back soon. She's very tough."

"Beth isn't my sister." Mika said in surprise.

"Oh, I thought… You two look alike," Lilly explained softly. "And you're obviously close."

"Beth's a really good friend," Mika said with a small smile. "I do have a sister. Her name's Lizzie. She's thirteen. She was at the prison with us."

Lilly swallowed, a pang of guilt going through her. She may not have attacked them, but she hadn't spoken out against Brian's plan. She'd lost her daughter, and many of these people had lost their lives.

"Did - did she make it out?"

"I think so," Mika said decisively. "I bet she got on the bus. I didn't make it before they left. I got shot…"

"You were shot?" Lilly gasped.

"It was just a graze," Mika said, putting her chin up. She pushed up the sleeve of her brown flowery dress, so Lilly could see the firmly tied white cloth on her upper shoulder.

"It's just a scab now. Rick said it'll leave a small scar," Mika said proudly. "I can't wait to show Lizzie."

_If she finds her sister_, Lilly thought, and a pang went through her. Was Tara even alive? A sudden wave of nausea went through her at the thought.

"I'm sure she'll be impressed," the woman said faintly. "I - I have to use the bathroom."

"Okay." Mika gave her a smile as Lilly turned and headed upstairs.

As she past Rick's room, she heard the baby begining to whine. Judith had woken from her nap. Lilly looked in and saw Rick sleeping comfortably on the bed, a smile on his face. Lilly wondered what he was dreaming of.

She hurried in and picked up the baby before she could wake her father. Grabbing Rick's open bag in her other hand - it had the diapers, Lilly hurried to the bathroom.

"Don't wake up your daddy, sweetheart," Lilly whispered to Judy, bouncing her gently on her side.

Judith looked up at her with a sad face, her lips pouting as she whimpered.

"Do you need a change?" Lilly guessed.

She'd barely set Judith down on the bathroom rug when the nausea swept over her again. Lilly turned to the toilet, flinging up the lid just in time.

Lilly retched over it, once, twice. When she was done, she wiped her mouth on some toilet paper, and closed the toilet lid. Lilly closed her eyes, remembering to herself when she'd felt sick two days ago. She'd been thinking about Meghan, about the way she'd looked, bleeding out in her arms. In the middle of her crying, she'd gotten sick.

This time, she'd been thinking of losing Tara. It wasn't a graphic image that made her sick, though. Was it psychosomatic? Lilly pinched the bridge of her nose, breathing deeply.

There were a few toothbrushes and some toothpaste on the sink - old, dry, and probably used by the family who lived here. But her mouth tasted horrible, so she braved the most gently used toothbrush, lathering it with a lot of paste.

As she brushed, she looked down at Judith. The baby was staring up at her curiously, her fingers in her mouth.

Such a quiet baby, Lilly thought in amazement. Would she always have been so good, or was it learned behavior, in a world where a little noise could easily get you killed?

She spat out the toothpaste in the sink and opened the medicine cabinet, sighing happily when she saw some mouthwash. Lilly swished it around her mouth and spat again. She looked at herself in the mirror.

Her skin was paler than it ever was, her hair limp and greasy from going a week without bathing. She looked terrible, she knew, but she couldn't quite bring herself to care.

_Wait. _In a sudden double take, she flung open the medicine cabinet, and stared at a familiar prescription. With shaky hands, she reached out to touch it. It was the same anti-depressants she'd been on after her husband died. The third brand she had tried, and the only one that worked for her.

Lilly picked up the bottle, took off the top, and stared inside. There were maybe twenty pills. They would only last long enough for them to start kicking in. A new wave of misery swept over her. It felt like somewhere, something was mocking her.

She leaned her head against the wall. After a moment, she closed the medicine cabinet, and tried to take a deep breath.

There was a sudden crashing sound from downstairs, and Lilly jumped. She flung open the door, and was stepping out as she heard the voices.

Loud, male laughter - and someone crying out in pain. _Strangers - who were they?_ Lilly quickly stepped back, holstering her gun, and shut the door in her panic. She bent to pick up Judith, who was thankfully still busy sucking on her thumb.

She hurried to the window - they had to get out, Lilly thought frantically. She couldn't pull up the window, and she realized it was locked. She tried to flip it open, but it was stuck. She tried again, and it began to squeak…

Lilly heard footsteps coming up the stairs. She kept trying, until she heard the footsteps getting closer to them. Giving up on the window, she leapt into the tub, Judith in her arms, and tugged the shower curtain closed. She nearly slipped, and winced as her butt hit the wall, and she began to slide down.

The bathroom door swung open, then closed again.

"Fucking _bastards_," a hoarse male voice sounded. He went to the sink, and flipped on the faucet. Nothing came out, and he smacked something - his hand? - against the wall.

"Come on, Lou," he said lowly. "What are you doing, man? They're gonna kill you too someday."

Lilly kept very quiet as she slid down into a seated position. With her left arm curled around Judith, she slowly brought her right hand down to unholster her gun. She only had two bullets…

Lou went to the toilet, and put up the top.

"Goddamn, that's gross," he groaned as the sight of the puke.

Lilly heard the sound of the man undoing his belt - and then the sound of him pissing. She clenched her jaw, drawing her gun out slowly… Judith frowned, feeling like she was being held too tight, and whined in aggravation.

"The fuck!" Lou growled at the sudden, strange noise. He grabbed his gun and ripped open the shower curtain.

Lilly froze as she saw an assault rifle pointed at her face. Lou blinked, staring down at her.

"Jesus, you got a baby?"

Lilly slowly looked up at Lou. He was a roundfaced guy, with balding gray-brown hair and blue eyes. He looked between her and Judith, shock on his face. After a moment, he quickly used his left hand to tuck himself back in his boxers, a slight flush rising in his cheeks.

"Lady," Lou said, his gaze darting to the door. "You've got to get out of here. The guys downstairs, they're… Look, you do _not_ want to be found by them, trust me. Take your baby and get out of here."

Miraculously, he lowered the assault rifle. And then he offered her his hand. Lilly let out the breath she'd been holding, and after a moment, slipped her gun back into its holster and held up a trembling hand. Lou grabbed it and pulled the slight woman up easily.

Lilly stepped out of the tub, and Lou dropped her hand, heading to the window. He twisted the lock, hard, until it popped open. Lou pushed the window open and stepped back. Lilly realized she couldn't climb through with Judith in her arms.

"Take her for a second."

The baby was in Lou's arms before he could protest. Then Lilly climbed through the window out onto the roof. She leaned back in, reaching for Judith, and Lou handed the baby back to her.

The door opened again, and Lou whirled in fear. Lilly brought Judith quickly to her breast as Lou brought up the submachine gun on the intruder.

Rick halted just inside at the sight of a balding man pointing a SMG right at him. This was it. He was going to die -

"Rick, close the door."

He saw her then - Lilly was right outside the window, holding Judith… (Thank _God_ \- he'd been terrified when he'd woken up hearing the intruders, and found his daughter gone.)

"Lou, it's okay," Lilly hissed. "He's with me."

After a moment, Lou lowered the gun, nodding uneasily at Rick. Breathing out a sigh of relief, Rick slipped the door quietly shut behind him.

"You have to get out of here, man," Lou whispered urgently. He stepped to the side, and Rick nodded to him and proceeded to the window.

"Thank you," Rick murmured.

He had feared the entire group were bad - they fought each other brutally, and one had choked another out just for the right to use a bed. Thankfully they weren't all like that.

"Where's Mika?" Rick hissed as he grabbed his pack from the floor and pushed it through the window.

"Downstairs, I think," Lilly murmured, the worry clear on her face.

"_Shit_," Rick cursed. "Maybe she hid in the basement."

"Is there someone else here?" Lou hissed in fear.

"Mika. She's just a girl," Rick said shortly, reaching for his gun.

"Not - a child?" There was sudden terror in Lou's voice.

An excited cry echoed from downstairs.

"_Claimed! _Well, will you look at what I found…"

Lou let out a quiet moan of horror, and Rick's blood ran cold.

* * *

When Lilly left for the bathroom, Mika finished packing the remaining food into a duffel bag. She had left one thing for last - a bag of peppermint milano cookies in.

Grinning at the thought of dessert for breakfast, Mika took out a single cookie. She sighed as she bit into it, the minty taste sweet on her tongue.

Then the front door crashed open, and she jumped, nearly choking on the cookie. From her spot, she could see clear through to the front room. Several men walked into the house.

Mika moved quickly, stepping behind the door. She peeked through the crack, and saw them. There were six men coming into the living room - no, seven. Two were dragging a guy with messy blond hair between them.

"Claimed," one called as he tossed his bag onto the couch.

The two dragging the other guy hauled him up, onto his feet. A man with graying hair stepped forward, shaking his head.

"Joe, come on, I didn't mean it," the blond guy begged.

The gray haired man punched him in the stomach. The younger guy doubled up, gasping in pain. Joe followed it with another punch, to the man's mouth - so hard it knocked a tooth out of his mouth.

"I'm sorry!" The man cried, blood coming out of his mouth. "Please, Joe, you don't gotta do this. I won't do it again, I swear!"

"I don't give second chances," Joe said coldly.

Mika flinched, keeping a hand over her mouth. Joe had a twisted smile, and a heavy dose of fear rushed through her. The men holding him threw the younger guy on the ground, and Joe kicked him hard in the gut.

He cried out in pain, spitting blood onto the floor, and Mika's eyes began to water. She had to get out of there.

"Lou, where the fuck are you going?"

"To take a shit," Lou replied grumpily.

"You ain't gonna help us?"

"Thought you wanted the honor."

"Alright then," Joe called after him, and Mika heard Lou's footsteps go up the stairs.

"Gonna take a nap," another voice declared, and went up too.

_Rick,_ Mika thought in horror. He was still sleeping in the bed, with Judith… And Lilly was up there too! She wanted to warn them, hoped they'd already heard, and were getting out - but would they?

"Man, I'm hungry," one voice echoed.

"Should've been faster claiming in the last house, Harley!" One man crowed.

They all descended on the blond man on the rug, kicking him viciously. He cried out in pain, trying to curl up, and one man smacked him hard on the head with his gun. Mika winced - and then it got worse.

The hungry man grumbled under his breath as he turned on his heel, leaving the others to beat the man, and started walking _right towards her._

Mika darted away from the door, as quick and quiet as she could. She heaved up the duffel with her right hand, and immediately wished she'd split the food between two bags. It was too heavy for her…

She struggled with the load on the way to the back door. Opening the screen door, Mika leapt out onto the grass. The duffel bag tumbled from her hands to the grassy ground, thankfully quietly.

Mika turned back, trying to control her harsh breathing - and saw the screen door about to bang shut. She stuck out her hand just in time - the metal door slammed her hand against the frame, and she bit her lip to keep from crying out at the sharp pain on her palm.

As she pulled her hand out of the door, she heard boots clicking on the wooden floor of the kitchen. There was a clattering crash of something being thrown down, then the sound of drawers and cupboards banging open.

The man's grumbles rose as he continued to search.

"There's no fucking food!" Harley shouted angrily. His friends in the other room started laughing at him.

The man they were beating had stopped crying. Mika didn't want to think about why that was, since she could still hear the meaty thud of boots hitting flesh. Maybe he'd just passed out… maybe he was going to be alright.

Mika inched along the side of the house, further from the kitchen door, dragging the duffel bag with her. And then the door creaked.

The girl froze, dropping the bag and grabbing for her knife. She was filled with terror, and she wished suddenly that she had a gun. Then she might have a chance…

The back door opened, and Mika shrank back against the side of the house, trying not to breathe too loud. _Don't look, don't see me,_ she chanted internally.

Harley stepped out onto the back step, holding the door open with his left arm. He spat something onto the ground, and Mika flinched.

The next few moments felt like hours. Her heart thudded so loud in her chest she feared he could hear it.

But then the man stepped back, letting the screen door bang shut behind him.

Mika was still trembling, but she finally let herself breathe again, taking soft gasping breaths.

Then she heard a telltale groan from behind her.

Mika leapt forward, stumbling over the duffel bag before she managed to get to her feet, turning.

There was a walker right there, and it had almost gotten her. It was a black haired woman in a dress, with a large, bloated stomach. Mika whimpered, realizing she didn't have her bat like she did yesterday. Just her knife…

_Don't let it get too close,_ Beth's advice rang in her ear. She took a step back, and another deep breath, and held up the knife in her right hand.

One, two, three, Mika counted silently. Then she darted forward, lashing her right foot out. She hit it in the side of the knee, knocking it off balance.

The walker fell over backwards. Mika knew she couldn't hesitate - she dove at it, stabbing the knife down.

Mika stabbed it in the cheek, and gasped as blood splattered over her hand. The walker was trying to sit up, its hands reaching to grab her, one on the left arm, the other wrapping around her waist, in a macabre version of a hug.

The ten year old yanked the knife out of the walker's face and brought it down again - further up this time. The blade went through the walker's forehead.

This time, the blow was true. Mika stared down at it as the hands fell away. She thought pushing the knife in would be harder… But the walker's head was squishy, and her knife was sharp.

Mika clambered to her feet, pulling out the knife and looking around nervously. Had anyone heard her?

"_Claimed! _Well, will you look at what I found…" One of the men shouted. He sounded close, and Mika flinched, taking a step further away from the house.

At that moment, Lilly glanced down at the backyard. She saw Mika there, and her heart began to beat again with relief.

"Mika's got out," she whispered urgently to the men in the bathroom. "She's in the yard."

"Let's get out of here," Rick sighed in relief, glad these men hadn't found Mika.

Lilly moved out of the way, and Rick crawled through the window after her. He waved urgently to Mika, who detected the movement and looked up, relief washing through her.

"These are fresh clothes," Mika heard the man inside saying excitedly - the same voice that had shouted _Claimed_ moments ago. "Girl's panties… Mmm, smells fucking good!"

Why was he smelling her panties? Mika scrunched up her face, grossed out.

"This group might be close," another guy said, sounding interested. "Left a backpack here - aww, look, a _teddy bear!_"

A few of them laughed, and Mika's chest tightened uncomfortably. She'd left her things in the living room. Now they had Griselda Gunderson…

"Maybe they're coming back," the first man groaned. "I claim the girl."

"Oh come on, man, you got the last one."

"You gotta be faster," came the answering taunt.

"If you hadn't killed the girl when you was done, maybe I coulda had a turn."

Mika stood stock-still in terror. They'd killed a little girl?

"If you weren't such a pussy, Billy, you still could've enjoyed her."

Rick landed on the grass near her, Judith tucked firmly in one arm. Before she could start to whimper, he stuck a finger in her mouth to suck. Mika stared at him, relieved he was there, trying not to hear what the men were saying.

Rick looked up in concern, wondering why Lilly wasn't on the ground with them yet.

"I heard what you said," Lilly said softly, looking Lou in the eye. "You said they might kill you. You helped us. Come with us."

Lou looked back inside, clearly worried.

"You don't want to be here," Lilly said, certainty in her voice. "You're not like them."

The door to the bathroom opened just then, and one of Lou's compatriots, Eric, walked in.

"I claim any painkillers," Eric said cheerily - and then he saw Lilly in the window, and his eyes widened with delight. _ "Claimed!"_

Lou pulled the trigger, filling the man's belly with lead. Eric screamed in pain, falling back and clutching his stomach. Lou fell to his knees, grabbing Eric's rifle before he could get it up. He tossed the rifle to Lilly, who fumbled with it but managed to get the strap across her body.

"Why'd ya shoot me, man?" Eric gasped, confused as he bled out. "If you claimed her… I wouldn't - wouldn't have touched her."

Lou got to his feet, moving to lock the door - and just in time. Len was on the other side, grabbing the handle.

"Lou, what the hell's going on?" Len demanded, still trying to get the door open.

"I'm fine, damn zombie in the shower almost got me," Lou called.

Before Eric could shout for help, Lou smashed him on the head with the gun, knocking him out.

"Okay," Len said dubiously. "_Screaming like a bitch_," he mumbled as he walked off.

Lou released a harsh breath in relief, then when he heard the other man walking away, he yanked off Eric's pack and pushed the bag through the window, then crawled through after Lilly.

When she finally reached the ground, dropping the last ten feet, Lilly winced at the shock on her feet. She could see Rick and Mika running through some trees further on - they must've started running when they heard the shots. She still had Rick's backpack on, but she reached for the duffel bag lying on the grass.

Lou landed beside her, groaning, and took the heavy duffel bag from her, throwing it over his shoulder. Together, they began to run after the others.

Rick glanced back over his shoulder, glad to see Lilly'd made it - and Lou as well, he supposed. Rick led the others through town, not stopping to rest.

They had to get out of here, Rick thought frantically. Those were bad men in there. He didn't want to think on what they'd do - or which group would win if they had to fight.

_Beth_, he thought urgently. He had to find her before she headed back to the house, and to those men.

* * *

"Just what I always wanted."

Beth turned to see Alisha putting a hat on her head. It was a large straw hat, with atrocious fake pink flowers piled all over the brim.

She could only giggle helplessly. It didn't suit Alisha at all.

"Ouch," Alisha laughed. She took off the hat, tossing it to the side. "Find anything?"

"A coat for Rick," Beth said, brushing her hands over the soft brown leather coat she'd found.

"Ooh," Alisha said teasingly. "A present for the hubby?"

"We're not married," Beth replied, fighting a blush.

"Not yet, huh?" The other woman winked knowingly at her. "Ah hah!"

The brunette had found a cute red jacket. She slipped it over both arms, and zipped it closed. It was stylish, something that Maggie would have worn, and Beth internally sighed.

"That's much nicer than the hat," Beth admitted. "Ready to go?"

"Sure," Alisha nodded.

They left the clothing store, Beth checking to the left while Alisha looked out to the right. On the way in they'd taken out three walkers, and now they could only see one, wandering slowly away from them, about thirty feet away.

"Leave it," Beth murmured as Alisha lifted her axe slightly in suggestion. The brunette looked disappointed, but nodded anyways.

Beth moved to the next shop over - a stationary store. She frowned, wondering if there was anything they really needed there.

"Beth."

She whirled around at Alisha's worried tone. The other woman pointed down the street - someone was running towards them. Beth squinted - there were several figures, was that?

Beth hurried over to meet them. Mika was panting for breath as they finally stopped.

"Rick, what's going on?" Beth asked quickly.

"There were these men…" Rick gasped.

Beth looked from Rick's exhausted face to the pinched look of fright on Mika's face. Lilly looked terrified, and there was a man with them, a middle aged stranger with short cropped gray-brown hair.

"We've got to keep moving," the stranger wheezed.

Beth frowned, glancing back at Rick.

"He's with us," Rick confirmed.

"Name's Lou," the man smiled nervously, and Beth nodded, offering her own name once Alisha had introduced herself.

Beth reached out to take Judith from Rick, offering him the brown leather coat in turn. He managed a quick smile, shrugging on the jacket before he went to Lilly and took his pack from her.

"The sling?" Beth asked hopefully.

"Had to leave it," Rick returned. "Come on."

Rick led them down the road, following it out of town, to the west. Beth jogged to keep up, murmuring platitudes to Judith, who didn't like their fast pace.

She looked down at Mika and was startled to see tears running down the girl's cheeks.

"Mika, are you hurt?" Beth fretted.

The girl slowly shook her head, but she looked miserable. Beth wished she had a hand to offer her. Lilly seemed to see this and stepped up.

"I can take her for a bit," Lilly said quietly, and Beth handed the baby over gratefully.

Beth grabbed Mika's hand and squeezed.

"What happened?"

"Those men," Mika whispered. "They're… awful."

"We're getting far away from them," Beth promised. "I won't let anyone hurt you, sweetheart."

Mika smiled tremulously, hoping that it was true. Her father had always promised to protect her, but he had died. It was hard for adults to keep promises these days.

Rick's eyes were on the road ahead, so he didn't notice when Beth came to an abrupt halt behind him, almost causing Alisha to crash into her.

"Rick!" Beth cried, and he turned, his hand going to his gun on instinct. But there wasn't a walker, or a person, frightening Beth. Instead, she had a wide smile on her face.

"_Look_," Beth gasped, stepping closer to a sign by the side of the road, next to the train tracks they were about to cross.

"It's a map," Alisha realized. "Terminus… Those who arrive, survive."

Rick arrived and looked. A possible sanctuary? Beth raised a hand to touch something below the map, and Rick's eyes shifted to follow - then widened.

In large black letters, someone had scrawled across the bottom of the map…

_Bus broke down. Going to Terminus:_ _Hershel, Sasha, Glenn, Annie, Dominic, Renee…_ The list went on, and Rick read every name, hope and dread simultaneously curling inside him.

The black lettering ended. But below that, added by someone using a thick red marker, were two more names, clearly added later. _Lizzie Samuels &amp; Carl Grimes. _

Rick gasped, his hand moving to trace over the letters. He turned to look to Beth, tears in his eyes.

"Lizzie's okay," Mika was laughing, bouncing up and down on her heels, the trauma of the morning suddenly far from her mind as she thought of seeing her sister again.

Beth was worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. She was relieved to see her father's name on here, and her brother-in-law. But where was Maggie's name? Had she been separated from them? Or worse?

"Beth, you alright?" Rick asked softly.

The blonde nodded quickly.

"Let's go after them."

They stayed there only long enough to add their names (minus Lou) to the list, then took off along the train tracks.

* * *

_Day Six_

She breathed deeply as she looked down the sight. The walker was about twenty feet away, stumbling towards her. She raised the gun slightly, and shot. The gun tried to bounce back in her hands, and she gasped at the recoil.

Its shoulder was nudged back as the bullet arced through it. Mika hurriedly tried to put the gun into position again.

"Very close!" Beth said supportively. She and Rick was standing at the ready, with their weapons out.

"Up and a little right," Rick advised her as he swung the red-handled machete through the air by his side.

Beth had decided that the machete was too bulky for her, so she'd given it to Rick. It worked splendidly for him - with his greater upper body strength, it didn't usually get stuck like it had for Beth. She was now wielding a small hatchet that Lou had given her, since he preferred to use his tire iron to bash in walkers' heads.

Mika shifted the gun, glaring at the sight. She wanted to do _well_. She squeezed the trigger - and the walker's ear blew clean off.

"You overcorrected a little too far right," Rick smiled. "Left, just a touch, and up…"

The walker was close now, only ten feet away. She bit her lip and squeezed again - with the next bang, the walker sank to the ground. Rick walked over to check on it.

"Very nice!"

Mika jogged up to join him, looking down at the walker. The bullet hole had gone through the far right of its forehead. Rick clapped a hand to her shoulder.

"Beth, I think we've got ourselves a new sharpshooter."

"I think you're right," Beth agreed, grinning at the younger girl, who looked very happy at the praise. Beth had gifted Mika with her 9 mm pistol last night, since Lou had ammunition for it - and it was past time for Mika to be able to defend herself with a gun as well as a melee weapon.

"Reload, make sure you have a full clip," Rick advised Mika, who nodded and carefully began the process Rick had taught her.

When Mika finished reloading her pistol, she set it back in her holster and they all began moving again.

Beth slipped her hand into Rick's and squeezed, looking up at him. He smiled back wanly, feeling bone weary.

They had jogged and ran for most of yesterday, only stopping as the sunlight completely disappeared. They'd all curled up in an abandoned warehouse not too far from the train tracks they'd been following towards Terminus. Lou had made it clear that they didn't want to run into his group again.

The pudgy middle aged man kept looking back nervously, as if he thought his former friends would burst from the trees at any moment.

"We've put a lot of distance between us," Rick assured him, and Lou managed a nod, but the fear didn't leave his eyes.

"Do you really think they'd still be following us?" Beth had to ask.

"I don't know," Lou admitted. "I did shoot Eric… If he lived and told them what happened, then they'd come after me. Anyone who broke Joe's rules would get… you know," he finished, stopping himself from elaborating as he saw Mika watching him.

Rick grimaced in understanding. It sounded like a nasty group of guys. He was glad they'd all gotten out of that house alive and unharmed.

"We're making good time," Alisha said, biting back a yawn. They'd woken up before dawn broke, continuing along the tracks. Lou had taken first watch, and Alisha second, so they were both the most tired.

Conversation quieted as they continued on. Three hours later, they came across signs of a camp - charred sticks and ashes, by the side of the tracks. There were a few things scattered by it - a few empty soda cans, and a Hersheys bar wrapper. And by the edge of the woods, several walker corpses - all five decapitated.

"Michonne?" Beth questioned hopefully.

"I think so," Rick said, a smile growing on his face. "The cuts are too fine for almost anything but her weapon."

"What does she use?" Lou wondered aloud.

"A katana," Mika said excitedly. "I want to learn to use a sword like her. She's _amazing_."

Alisha shifted nervously on her heels. She remembered holding Michonne hostage. It was likely Michonne would remember her role in the attack. Would she really accept Rick's deal to let Alisha and Lilly travel with them? Or when they caught up, would she wind up exiled, or worse, killed?

They didn't stop for lunch, instead snacking on a bag of sunflower seeds, and some dried apricots. Rick hoped that if they made good time, they could catch up to his son soon.

As early evening fell, they came across a sign on the tracks. Someone had dragged a log across the rails, and left a message on it with white spray paint.

_No supplies here, going north to take the highway to Terminus. Michonne, Lizzie, Carl _

Rick began to smile. Michonne had caught up to the children. She'd keep them safe, he knew it.

"They found each other!" Beth confirmed joyfully as she bounced Judith in her arms. The baby gurgled happily, as if she knew why the mood had changed.

Mika hugged Beth eagerly.

"Do you think we're close to them?"

"Yes," Rick said immediately. "Let's go north and find them."

"There's smoke."

They all turned at the quiet sound of Lilly's voice. When they followed her gaze south, they could see a plume of white smoke over the area.

"That must've been a big fire," Rick mused.

"Is it still burning?" Alisha wondered.

"Black smoke means the fire's still going, white smoke means it's out," Mika explained. "My dad taught me that."

"Should we check it out?" Lilly asked.

"It's too far off the tracks, probably isn't our people," Rick shook his head. "We know that Carl went north, we're going after him."

Beth nodded in agreement.

"Let's hurry. Maybe we'll catch up with them tonight."

* * *

As they made their way north, they had to push single file through the thick forest. Ten minutes in, the forest grew less thick, and out of seemingly nowhere, they saw a herd of walkers passing through.

There were some ahead of them, some to the left, and even to the right. Rick stopped, grabbing his gun - there were at least two dozen in total, it would be too risky to use melee weapons.

"Get back to back!" He shouted, and was relieved as the others moved to obey. Beth stepped to his left, handing the baby over to Mika.

The girl covered the baby's ears as best as she could, and winced at the sounds as the others began to shoot. Lilly, Alisha and Lou helped form a circle around her, each of them taking out their guns to help Rick and Beth thin down the herd.

Rick fired steadily, picking off walkers easily. Beth carefully picking each shot, wanting to be sure to hit them in the head. Mika winced, shrugging her shoulders up towards her ears to numb the loud sounds of the shooting. In her arms, Judith began to wail, scared by the gunshots.

"I'm out," Beth spoke first. She unzipped her front jacket pocket, pulling out more bullets. By the time she'd reloaded, a walker was only five feet away from her.

Rick turned, taking it out for her, and Beth sighed in relief. Rick frowned as he saw more walkers approaching through the trees. It was a bigger group than he'd realized.

"Out of rounds," Alisha declared crisply. She tossed her rifle over her shoulder, and left the circle, wading ahead to begin taking them out with the axe.

Alisha was almost a blur, taking down walker after walker - but she was drawing too much attention to herself. As three walkers surrounded her, Rick cursed and let the circle, racing over to her and slashing out with his machete.

He mis-timed the slash, and it cut into the side of the walker's head, slicing off the top of its ear. Rick had to grab it by the neck so he could try again. This time he hacked into its brain, and it collapsed. He was already moving, stepping beside Alisha to kill a second walker while she dealt with its partner.

Rick glanced over at her in frustration - and didn't see a small walker emerging from behind a bush, on his right.

"Rick!" Mika screamed in warning as she saw it lunging at him from behind.

Rick turned, and the boy's mouth closed down on his arm, sinking its teeth down… Beth swiveled towards Rick at Mika's warning cry, and fired desperately - one, two, three bullets in quick succession. At least one hit, and the walker sank to the forest floor, dead for good this time.

Rick grabbed his arm, staring down at it in horror.

"_Rick_?" Beth wailed. She wanted to run to him, but knew she couldn't leave Mika and Judy.

He stared down at his arm. He didn't feel anything, was he going into shock? Then he looked closer, and saw bite marks in the leather, but no blood.

Rick whipped his machete out as another walker drew near, killing it with ease.

"I'm fine!" He shouted. "Didn't get through my jacket!"

Beth gasped, nearly overcome with relief.

"Beth, twelve o'clock!" Mika called urgently.

She looked back front and center, and saw a walker just seven feet away. She raised the gun and pulled the trigger - it collapsed dead, just a yard from her. Beth let out a shaky breath, glad that Mika was on point.

There were only a few walkers left, and they soon made short work of them.

"Let's go," Rick said as he took Judy back from Mika.

They jogged after him through the woods. Beth couldn't help but look at his jacket sleeve in amazement. She reached out to gently touch the bite marks. Rick looked at her, a rueful smile on his face.

"I'm really alright. You got it in time."

"I know," Beth whispered. He realized her eyes were shining with unshed tears.

Rick slowed for a moment. Tucking the machete to the side, he curled Judith against his chest and leaned down to kiss Beth. She kissed back hard, needing the reassurance badly.

"This was a good choice," Rick said as they reluctantly pulled apart, remembering where they were. "The jacket. The leather's good and thick."

Eventually, they exited the forest onto the highway. The day was growing long, and they had to find somewhere to stop before the sun set. It was always harder to fight in the dark.

"Welcome to Griffin," Mika read aloud as they approached a town sign, squinting in the fading light. "That's one of those magical animals, like a unicorn?"

"Yeah. It's half lion and half eagle," Lou said after a moment.

"I'd rather be a unicorn," Mika said after a moment.

"Not a dragon?" Alisha teased. "Breathing fire everywhere? You could burn up all the walkers."

"I bet a unicorn horn would be good for killing walkers too," Beth admitted.

They chose a house, and Alisha and Lou went in to clear it, while the others waited on the porch. There were no walkers, and soon they were all inside.

"There's not much food here," Alisha reported. But she drew down a liter of root beer from a tall cupboard, and Mika's eyes lit up - she loved root beer.

Lilly found some marinara sauce in jars, and some dried spaghetti, but the gas didn't work.

"There's a woodstove in the living room!" Beth called out eagerly. "We could cook something."

"A hot meal," Mika moaned happily.

Alisha went to chop wood in the yard - thankfully there was an old pile, and she brought it back with haste. Mika scurried around the house, finding paper - old newspapers and magazines - to start the fire.

The others watched as Beth built a small fire. The light from the match burned up the newspapers, and slowly transferred to the twigs, which in turn lit the logs. Beth closed the little glass door, turning the handle to keep it closed.

Rick placed a large pot of water on top, sprinkling in some salt. Half an hour later, a simple meal was ready.

Mika inhaled deeply, a wide smile creeping over her face.

"It smells _yummy_."

"I hope it tastes that way too," Beth grinned at her.

They cooked all the pasta they had, and everyone was served a heaping plate of it. Beth had made a sauce to go with, utilizing some italian spices from the cupboards, cans of crushed tomatoes and tomato paste, and half a small jar of minced garlic.

"I don't think I've had a meal this good since the apocalypse began," Alisha said contentedly.

"I'll have to loosen my belt," Lou groaned.

Beth beamed at the praise. Mika gave her a quick hug, and Lilly thanked her as well. Rick caught her hand, bringing it to his lips for a kiss.

"It was perfect," he said softly, and that simple compliment set her heart to racing.

They were all stuffed after dinner, and headed off to bed. Lou took first watch, while Rick cleaned up in the kitchen. Beth sat in a chair, feeding Judith her evening bottle.

"We'll need to find more formula soon," Beth admitted, though she hated to bring up something depressing when the evening was going well.

"How much do we have left?"

"I've been giving her weakened portions," Beth sighed. "She doesn't like it as much, but this way we have maybe three days left, giving her two bottles a day."

Rick sighed, pressing a kiss to her cheek before standing again.

"I'll go check the perimeter."

"Be careful."

"Always," Rick swore, grateful for her concern.

She looked down at Judith, trying to keep her worry from overwhelming her.

"Why don't you breastfeed her?"

Beth looked up at the sound of Lilly's voice. She was standing in the doorway, and seemed rather confused.

"I'm not Judith's birth mother," Beth explained, and Lilly looked surprised at the information. "Her mother was Lori Grimes, Rick's wife, but she died in childbirth near eight months ago."

Lilly nodded in understanding.

"I think I could breastfeed her."

Beth froze for a moment.

"You - _really_?" A slow, hopeful smile was growing on her face.

"Megan had just turned six." Lilly glanced away, pain obvious in her eyes. "We breastfed until she was almost four, but over the last year, with everything how it is, we started again. It comforted her. If you don't mind me trying…"

Beth didn't even have to think about it - Judith could use breastmilk, she should have been getting it since she was born. She knew it was better for babies than formula, better for her immune system and other things she didn't quite remember her father saying, but they'd never had a nursing mother at the prison.

Lilly's eyes widened as Beth offered the baby to her. She carefully took Judith in her arms, holding her just loosely enough to be comfortable for both of them.

"Hi there," Lilly whispered.

Judith looked up at her with curious eyes. Lilly walked over to a chair, and sat down. Beth glanced away for a moment as Lilly pushed down her shirt and bra, exposing her nipple - and then she carefully raised Judith's mouth towards it.

At first, the baby just blinked at her.

"She's never done this before," Beth warned her.

"Alright, Judy," Lilly said softly. She used her fingers instead, squeezing and tweaking the nipple until it was fuller - and just a little wet. She felt a pang as she remembered the last time she'd done this - last week, after Megan's scare with a walker in camp, it was the only way she had to calm her. Lilly guided it back into Judith's mouth, and watched as the baby's eyes squinched up at the strange new flavor.

"There, you've got it…" the mother coaxed.

Judith held still, blinking up at Lilly rather seriously. And then, perhaps on an instinct long forgotten, she pursed her lips. A trickle of milk flowed into her mouth, and Judith's eyes widened at the taste.

The babe began suckling in earnest, and Lilly sighed in relief. This might not be her daughter, but Judith deserved a mother's milk, even if it wasn't from her own mother.

"It's working," Beth said wondrously. Lilly looked up at her and smiled.

Rick walked into the kitchen, looking at Beth. He followed her gaze, and saw Lilly with Judith at her breast… For a moment, he just stared, hardly able to believe what he was seeing.

"I hope its okay with you, Mr. Grimes," Lilly said nervously. "I heard what you said about the formula…"

Rick just nodded, taking in the sight of his daughter eagerly suckling at the woman's breast.

"Thank you," he said hoarsely. He finally looked away, remembering propriety, meeting Beth's eyes and looking amazed. "We don't have to worry about formula."

Beth beamed back at him, nodding. Getting enough formula for Judith had always been a major worry. Even though she was now seven and a half months, and could eat some mashed foods, it was still best for her to have formula - or milk - several times a day, for the nutrients. But as long as Lilly was with them, alive and well, Judith would have something far better than formula. Rick marvled suddenly at how fortunate it was that they'd met Lilly, and welcomed her to the group.

"Lilly, I don't know how to thank you."

"Please don't," Lilly whispered.

They nodded, realizing she didn't want them to make a big deal out of this. Beth realized suddenly how hard this might be for her, nursing another child so soon after losing her own.

When tears began to fall down Lilly's cheeks, Beth got up quietly.

"I'll be in the living room when you're done."

Rick went with her, giving Lilly a single nod as he went.

"I can't believe…" He trailed off, shaking his head once they'd found themselves alone in the living room.

"I should've asked her before…" Beth whispered, but Rick grabbed her hand, pulling her close to him.

She wrapped her arms about his waist, and he hugged her as well, resting his chin on her soft hair.

"What matters is that Judith's going to be alright," Rick sighed. Beth nuzzled into his chest, breathing in the scent of him.

"You really scared me today," she confessed after a moment.

He had to think for a moment - and then he realized what she meant.

"I'm sorry I scared you. I should have been watching more carefully."

Beth was beginning to shake, and he held her tight while turning her chin up to look at him. Tears began to flow down her cheeks.

"I - I know when you care about someone, hurt is just part of the package," Beth stammered through her tears. "I just… I never thought… It would hurt this _much_."

Rick cupped her face gently, and leaned in to kiss down her cheeks, slowly drying her tears.

"If I lost you, Beth, I think I'd lose myself," Rick admitted hoarsely. "In the basement, back in Grantville… if Mika had been a second later, you'd be gone -"

"But she wasn't." Beth sniffled.

"And you were just in time to save me," Rick reminded her.

"I can't imagine my world without you in it," Beth admitted softly. "It just… the pieces wouldn't fit."

"Because we fit together?" Rick suggested softly.

"Cheesy, but yes." Beth suppressed a giggle. She wiped at her eyes with her sleeve, and smiled up at him.

They leaned in at the same time and kissed, gentleness soon abandoned for a desperate passion. Beth backed him up to the couch, coming to straddle his lap. Rick shuddered, his head falling back as he acutely remembered the last time they were in this position.

Beth took advantage of his distraction to lean in and kiss at his neck.

"Is this going to be a pattern? You in my lap?" Rick groaned.

"I can't say I don't like it here," Beth gasped, trailing her lips up his jaw, nuzzling at his stubble. "But all the times I've thought of this, I admit you were always on top…"

Rick shuddered, and leapt into action. He rolled them, pinning Beth to the couch, lying firmly between her legs. She moaned, rolling her hips, and he dug in, grinding against her.

"_Rick_."

He loved the way she said his name, half moan and half gasp, adoring and amazed and utterly wanton.

"This is what you want?" Rick panted into her neck before biting down. Beth mewled, her legs wrapping around his back, and fingers digging into his shoulders.

"I want to be yours," Beth said boldly. "What do you want to do to me, Mr. Grimes?"

"I can think of a lot of things I want to do to you," Rick said roughly. He rubbed against her, loving the way she shuddered against him.

"Excuse _me!_" Alisha laughed as she walked through the room.

Rick and Beth both flushed, recalling at last that they were in the living room. They pulled apart reluctantly.

"There's no privacy," Beth sighed.

"Once we find a safe place," Rick murmured in her ear. "I'm going to make love to you for _hours_."

She moaned, her body clenching helplessly at his promise.

"I will hold you to that," she whispered.

"Good," Rick grinned.

They'd just separated when Mika and Lou came in.

"Beth, will you sing me a song before bed?" Mika asked hopefully.

"Of course. Anything in particular?"

"Can you do the angel song?"

"I love that one." Beth beamed. She took a deep breath, centering herself before beginning.

"I am an old woman," Beth sang softly. "Named after my mother… My old man is another child that's grown old."

He loved this song, Rick realized with surprise. Beth's music tastes always astonished him. He settled back into the couch, his hands coming to rest in his lap to hide the evidence of his arousal from Beth's audience.

"If dreams were thunder, and lightning was desire… This old house would've burned down a long time ago!"

Her voice was pure and soulful, drawing everyone's rapt attention. Over by the woodstove, Lou stared at her, obviously both impressed and surprised. Alisha wandered back in, standing in the doorway and leaning her head against the frame. Lilly came in from the kitchen to sit in an armchair, still nursing a very happy Judith.

"Make me an angel, that flies from Montgomery. Make me a poster, of an old rodeo. Just give me one thing that I can hold on to, to believe in this livin' is just a hard way to go!"

Beth got to her feet, going to Mika and taking her hands. The younger girl giggled as Beth began to dance with her, turning Mika in a circle before pulling her into a more classic dance position.

Somehow, even acapella, Rick could hear the music. She was completely on tune, and he wondered how many times she had heard the song, and if she preferred the Bonnie Raitt version or the original John Prine.

"When I was a young girl… well, I had me a cowboy. He weren't much to look at – just a free ramblin' man."

"But that was a long time – " Rick sang, low and strong, and Beth whirled to look at him, her mouth falling open. "And no matter how I tried, those years just flow by, like a broken down dam."

Staring at him with her wide blue eyes, Beth slowly smiled, and sang with him on the next chorus.

"Make me an angel, that flies from Montgomery…"

Rick settled back, just listening as she took the third verse, then joined her again for the final chorus.

"Just give me one thing that I can hold on to… To believe in this livin' is just a hard way to go. To believe in this livin' is just a hard way to go…"

There was a moment, then Mika hugged Beth.

"Thanks," the girl said softly.

"You're very welcome," Beth promised.

"Can you do another?" Alisha requested.

Beth nodded, thinking for a moment. After a minute of silence, she bent her head and began to softly sing.

"_Heaven can wait…_ And a band of angels wrapped up in my heart. Will take me from you, the lonely night through the cold… Of the grey… And I know, I know… Heaven can wait."

She looked up, her eyes only on Rick.

"And all the cards come down here, just to sing for me. And the melody's gonna leave me flat, without you, without fear."

Beth took a deep breath, and suddenly her voice rose, growing more powerful.

"Give me all of your dreams and let me go along your way! Give me all of your prayers to sing and I'll turn the night into the skyline… Yeah, I've got a taste of paradise. I'm never gonna let it slip away… I've got a taste of paradise. It's all I really need to make me stay."

God, he loved her. The thought passed through Rick's mind so suddenly and clearly that he knew it was true. Rick stared at Beth in amazement. As her gaze wandered around the room, touching all of them, Rick glanced away before she could look at him, fearful that she'd know what he was thinking. She always seemed to look into the deepest, most secret parts of him.

"Just like a child again… Heaven can wait. And all I've got is time, until the end of time. I won't look back, I won't look back. Let the altar shine…" Beth trailed off for a moment, looking around her audience.

Tears were slipping down Lilly's cheeks as she stared down at Judith. Mika curled into Beth's side, half-smiling, half-sleeping. And the look on Rick's face - her heart just seemed to swell in her chest when he stared at her that way.

"And I know that I've been released, but I don't know to where. Nobody's gonna tell me now, and I don't really care. No, no, no!" Beth called.

"I've got a taste of paradise. That's all I really need, to make you stay. I've got a taste of paradise. If I had any sooner, I'd have known… You know I never would have run away… From my home. Heaven can wait. And all I got is time until the end of time. Well, I won't look back, I won't look back. Let the altar shine…"

She repeated the chorus twice more.

"Let the altar shine! Let the altar shine…" Her voice rose beautifully before mellowing again at the end, the final note lingering in the air.


End file.
